Cyberfox
by The Emerald Ingot
Summary: Cyberpunk Naruto. The Cyberninja compete with the Shadow Runners for missions, the Dons are losing their control of the Underworld, the nobles are plotting, and on top of it all, the Daimyo is dying. There's only one way to fix it: Enter Uzumaki Naruto.Nx
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! This is an idea that I've been bouncing around for a while, so much so that I havn't been able to think about my other stories adequately to get the inspiration to update them. I really worked my ass off to fine tune this, so I hope it lives up to your expectations. The second chapter is already half way done, but I probably won't update for a week or so. Hopefully, I'll be able to update every two weeks or so, if I write enough. My goal is to make each chapter around 8 to 10 thousand words long. This one just barely shaves in under 10 thousand, and I felt that it was adequate.

Since this is a really radical AU, I don't expect most hardcore Naruto lovers to like it, but... well, I hope it is at least enjoyable. One thing I wish to ask is that, when you review, please tell me one thing you liked about the story, and one thing you didn't like. That'll help me find problems with my writing style, and the next chapters will be better.

I hope you enjoy it, and remember one thing: Keep an open mind.

* * *

'_The history of the Elemental Nations was a series of long, bloody conflicts ever since the induction of the feudal system. From the first written records until around the year 317 BFI, the many Daimyo fought for supremacy, attempting to control trade routs and the limited resources available at the time. This warfare was permeated not only by war between standard armies, but also by accounts of full scale shadow wars between the Hidden Villages. At that time, Ninja were the Daimyo's only warfare option that did not inevitably lead to war, though many times the missions sparked a new conflagration across the land._

_However, the course of history was altered by the advent of workable, efficient firearms. With relatively little training, the common peasant could be taught how to shoot, reload, and care for these economic weapons. At first, Samurai and Ninja alike found ways to counteract the effects of these guns, but as technology progressed, more and more Samurai and Ninja were being slaughtered by troops with little more than two months training. In contrast, in excess of 10 years was required for most Ninja and Samurai to be trained to their fullest extent. This, along with lower wages for these new gun carrying troops and the lowered price of supplying not only their weapons but their ammunition as well, changed how warfare was fought at this time. The Samurai class was nearly completely wiped out after the first few years of warfare. Those who were not had already changed their training to adopt guns and the new tactics they brought. Ninja, although not adopting guns until almost 256 BFI, had to drastically change their fighting styles._

_Although Ninja at the time could manipulate the elements to cause extensive damage, there were no truly effective techniques to block or dodge bullets. In essence, although they did cause many casualties against their opponents, they also suffered many as well. Since it was easier for a Daimyo to simply conscript a few peasants than it was for the Kage to train new Ninja to replace their fallen troops, the Ninja way of life had to change. They let go of their fierce battles and flashy jutsu, opting for more stealth. No longer would a few powerful Ninja face down an advancing army and walk away with relatively no casualties. In order to support their way of life, they had to change._

_They became spies, assassins, and diplomats. They became great merchants, starting up trade routs and using their cunning to manipulate the market at the time to support their villages. They did not use any sort of open warfare until the advent of the cartridge._

_Once bullets came pre-loaded into copper cartridges, allowing for faster reload and firing, did ninja begin to become more aggressive. The creation of the semi-automatic pistol was credited to a Ninja. With their technology catching up to that of the rest of the world, coupled with their already impressive chakra techniques, they could once again become the shadow warriors they had been since their founding. _

_Once again, their way of life was threatened by the advent of a new technology. Computers nearly completely eliminated a portion of a Ninja's job base: information. Once the Internet became more widely accessible, most governments could use that to find any sort of information they wished, even using it to spy on their enemies. Over time, Ninja were lowered down to the level of extremely expensive bodyguards and errand runners. Many of the famous (and infamous) ninja clans left their villages to search for other ways of life, and new recruits to fill the Ninja ranks became much scarcer. Most villages had, at this time, either disbanded themselves, or were destroyed by the nation in which they resided. However, their chakra techniques continued to be passed down from generation to generation, especially within the great clans. _

_The last Ninja village was destroyed in Fire Country in the year 136 BFI. However, technology destroyed them, and thus technology could re-create them as well. Already, cities had begun building Internet Access Towers, allowing anyone with a connection to be able to freely connect to the Internet. This lead to a new technology called the ComLink. For all intents and purposes, the ComLink was a miniature laptop computer. However, it allowed internet access anywhere a person wished to go, and with extremely long battery times, they could be carried around all day. However, this did not completely open the door to the return of the Ninja, it merely turned the key. _

_From the years 60 to 1 BFI, cybernetic technology had advanced considerably. It was at the point that, with a cybernetic implant and a small connection array, it was possible to have a complete and total internet connection without having to carry around a large fragile ComLink. Then, a scientist named Jishiko Takeshima, who had experimented with the nervous system, created a way to allow people with the correct implants to be able to fully immerse themselves in a virtual world. The year that the Matrix came online, named after a popular pulp film released years earlier, marked the end of the old calendar. That year was named 1 AFI, standing for After Full Immersion. The years before this date were renamed BFI, standing for Before Full Immersion. _

_Now, with the advent of this new technology, anyone could access the Internet or the Matrix at any time they wished, anywhere they wished (with a good connection) without the need of equipment other than their implants. This also opened people up to the danger of viruses and electronic attacks. The hacker became the most deadly warrior of the time. In the years that follow, the advancement of firewalls and other protective programs ensured a degree of safety for most people. The Matrix and the Internet were constantly monitored and scanned for any sort of malware, as it came to be called. The way of the hacker almost died out as the technology advanced. However, this is where the Ninja step in. The Ninja who had learned their ways from their fathers and grandfathers, or mothers and grandmothers, latched onto this idea of hacking. After mastering the art of avoiding protective measures, they changed their tactics yet again. They became what we know as Cyberninja. Able to sneak into any place, weather in the Matrix or in the physical world, they became the perfect spies, the perfect assassins, and with new and better guns, the perfect warriors. _

_Factions emerged, naming themselves after ancient Ninja Villages, once again dominating the world of warfare, either physically or electronically. To counter their rising power, the governments created what we all know as the SIN, or System Identification Number. This number was saved into each person's implant, either when they received it or when the next census was taken (people registered through the internet, where the SIN was downloaded and saved as they registered). Similar to the Social Security Number of past ages, it was required to do anything. Once it was made public, it was difficult to do even mundane tasks, such as buying food, without a SIN. With the SIN in place, governments could keep track of anyone, as long as they were connected. This lead to many problems for the Cyberninja, specifically removing a large part of their income, and as such limiting their resources._

_In a stroke of good fortune, the Central Data Servers crashed. All SIN's were lost. The ramifications caused a deep depression in the economy. Many people lost their jobs, businesses went bankrupt, and nearly world wide riots took place. Once the servers were up and running, people flocked to local centers to be re-issued SIN's. However, most Cyberninja did not, opting to create fake SIN's. Since then, the year 42 AFI, Cyberninja have been operating in the shadows. The First Crash gave them back their place in society. The Second and Third crashes merely fortified them as a power once again. Even today, these Cyberninja are the people to go to for any sort of mission. They are the mercenaries of the future, outperforming even governmental Special Forces. _

_Today, they are widely used by anyone who can afford them. Even the governments use their skills, quite often as well, though they deny such allegations. Despite the nearly 150 years of their absence, the Cyberninja have reclaimed their place in the world.'_

Excerpt from _Military Forces throughout the Ages_

* * *

Light… she could see light… it blinded her, even as she attempted to blink away the blurriness of her vision. She could hear muffled voices that were barely perceptible, yet sounded as if they were shouting.

"…ccident was severe; the force crushed her left arm…"

"….vere blunt force trauma to the skull, possible brain damage and memory loss…"

"… piece of glass piercing her left eye, I suggest we remove the eye to prevent complications…"

She tried to turn to face one of the many speakers, even though her vision was still not quite right.

"Oh, shit! She's awake!"

"Give me 20 cc's of…"

"Already on it!"

Her world faded to black…

* * *

The girl woke to the sound of raised voices.

"So you're saying that the only way for my daughter to have a functional life is to give her those… those _implants_! I refuse to allow that filth anywhere my family! It's bad enough that Matrix Chips are required by law, but I will not allow my daughter to become a _monster!_"

"Sir, if you don't let us give her a new eye and a new arm, she will be _crippled_ for the rest of her life! Is that what you wish for her? Do you want her to be mocked because she doesn't have an arm when replacements are so readily available? Are you an idiot or just sadistic!"

"You will keep a civil tongue or I will remove it! You forget who you are dealing with."

"Oh, only one of the richest men in the world! With Hyuuga Corp's money, you could replace all of her limbs and not even know the money is gone! There is no good reason why she should _not_ get these parts! If you won't give us consent, we'll ask her permission and get a court appeal. Now, if you'll excuse me, your _daughter_ is awake."

Hyuuga Hinata sat up, confused by the darkness she found herself in. With no small amount of trepidation, she reached over to her left arm. All her hand found was air and a bandage covered stump. Tears began to soak her bandages before the door opened and a rather sweet voice spoke.

"Hinata-san, how are you feeling?"

"…"

"I… I'm sorry for your loss. Do you remember the accident?"

Hinata slowly nodded her head, the car wreck coming back into mind.

"You're lucky to have survived. But… I'm sure you know by now that you're missing your left arm at the shoulder and your left eye."

Gentle hands rested on her shoulders and someone's weight shifted the bed as the doctor sat on the bed next to her.

"My name is Takeshima Miho, and I'm your doctor. I know that loosing your arm and eye must be pretty hard on you, but we can replace them. Your… father refuses to allow us permission, so we want to ask you if we can."

"…"

"So… would you like a new arm?"

The door burst open and Hyuuga Hiashi stormed into the room.

"Hinata, if you dare to allow that filth anywhere your body, I'll exile you from the clan!"

Fresh tears leaked out of her eyes, further soaking her bandages. Slowly, hesitantly she stuttered "I… I j-j-just w-want my a-arm back!"

The doctor gently held her as sobs shook her body. Gently rocking the crying girl back and forth, the doctor shushed and comforted her. Mentally sending a command from her own 'plant, she triggered the release of an anesthetic into her IV drip, and waited until the girl fell asleep.

Standing up, she said "I don't care how much you hate cybernetic limbs, this girl is going to get the best available, and with your insurance, you're gonna pay for every nuyen of it!"

She stormed out of the room, leaving a gob-smacked and very angry man behind her. She had an operation to do.

* * *

The Hyuuga Council had long since been disbanded, around the same time that the Hyuuga Clan had left Konoha. Since the Ninja way of life was no longer a viable option for the Hyuuga, they became merchants. Since they already had a large workforce in the Branch family, they could easily start a new business to support their family. The Cursed Seal eventually fell out of favor, although the family was still split. Oh, they got along much better than before, but the Main family consisted only of the current Clan Head, his or her spouse, their parents, and their children. Once an heir was chosen, the others were given Branch Family status.

As it was, the Hyuuga Clan owned and operated one of the largest corporations in the world. They rivaled other super corps, like Ranraku, Ares, and Glyss International. It was always owned by the Hyuuga Clan Head, who always owned the majority of the stock and was always the acting CEO. Even though the Hyuuga retained much of their knowledge of the way of the Ninja, it mostly resided in the area of how to use the Byakugan and mastery of the Jyuken.

Hyuuga Hiashi, as the clan head, was the CEO of Hyuuga Corp. That was an obvious fact. What wasn't so obvious was who was to be his heir. He had two daughters, and though both were adequate in the Hyuuga Marital Arts, Hanabi had always done better in her business management classes. Thus, she was favored to become the next clan Head.

The position was still debated quite extensively, until recently. Hiashi's great grandfather had been against any sort of body modification. 'The perfect beauty of one's body should not be marred by that which man created. Leave perfection as it is' he had said. Oh, they had allowed some _small_ changes, such as inconspicuous implants and the like, but what his daughter had done had gone against clan law. She chose to have her arm and eye replaced by machines. Because of that, there were only two options.

After the First Crash, everyone who was not already extremely wealthy had lost everything. The depression that followed had changed the social stratus of the world. Here in Fire City, the sprawling megalopolis and capital of Fire Country, the rich lived in the Uppercity. The huge building that reached high into the sky were connected through walkways and platforms. Anything above the 100th level belonged solely to the rich. The budding middle class practically controlled the Middle city, the areas between the 100th and 30th level, depending on one's acquired wealth. The poor lived in the Lowercity, any level between the ground level and the 30th level. But, those who were truly destitute lived below that, in the abandoned and non-functional sewers and dark street corners.

As the tallest building in Fire Country was the Central Bureaucracy Tower, which held the Fire Daimyo's palace in the uppermost levels, and it lay dead center of Fire City, the social stratification for the levels remained in proper proportions to the nation's population. As each building out from the CBT was shorter than the last, even if the levels were sectioned off by wealth and status, the poor was still the largest class, the middle class was still larger than the upper class, and the rich were still the smallest population, but with more money than the rest put together.

Now, Hiashi could do two things. One, he could banish Hinata from the clan, stripping her of their clan name and her SIN, leaving her to a life of poverty in the Undercity, or they could marry her off as a political favor. The problems with the first option would be that the Hyuuga's honor and, by proxy, reputation would be irrevocably smeared. But, that was a much easier choice than the second. The reason why the upper class was such a hard place to reach was not because it was difficult to make money. No, in fact there were quite a few 'middle class' businessmen and women who controlled more monetary wealth than some of the less wealthy upper class. It was all about power. A large portion of the upper class consisted of former Ninja and Samurai clans, nobility, and war heroes. It was rare that one not born into such a position was accepted into the upper class. The Hyuuga clan belonged to this world. They always had been, as far back as their records reached, and always will be.

The problem with the second option was that, even though Hinata was of an appropriate age to marry, there were so very few eligible bachelors to choose from. The life of the upper class was all about power, whether it was monetary, military, or political.

Using his MatCon, the only implant allowed by the Hyuuga Clan, to access the Matrix, he brought up a list of all eligible men. It was rather short, and even then, many of them were eliminated because a political marriage would bring nothing to the Hyuuga clan. One by one, the remaining names on the list were eliminated until none remained.

With a resigned sigh, Hiashi prepared to take the necessary actions required to banish his daughter. Bringing up the required information, he let his thoughts drift to the current political climate.

The whole upper echelon was in shambles. At least, the political arena was a mess. With the most recent war against Stone Country, many nobles had joined, hoping to attain honor and glory on the battlefield. Unfortunately, many had come back in body bags. Entire bloodlines were wiped out. Several influential families had lost every single heir, and in the power struggle to attain the title of Clan Head, the clan had collapsed and all members were either killed or banished by the Fire Daimyo.

As it was, the Fire Daimyo himself was a newcomer to the Royal Throne. The armies of Stone had come dangerously close to Fire City, having taken most of the suburbs. The previous Fire Daimyo had gotten scared, so he had taken his family and himself aboard a hovership and attempted to flee the country. It was shot down before it even left the city. With the throne empty, the Stone armies had pushed to take the rest of the city, but in a brilliant move by an upstart general named Namikaze Minato, the Fire armies had counter attacked. In a rout, Stone's armies were pushed back beyond their borders and the country was forced into a strenuous peace treaty. Namikaze had quickly seized control of the throne, expertly thwarting his political rivals and filling the power vacuum left by the death of the entire Royal Family. Before the war, the Namikaze family had been side-note, given little notice by the other nobility.

Even after almost 16 years of rule, the nobility continued to struggle against him. Each and every insurgence was put down without mercy, many members of the offending families put to death. Whether out of fear or out of true loyalty, more and more political factions have been openly supporting the new Fire Daimyo. It was even rumored that the Hokage had even declared his allegiance to Namikaze. If he truly had the weight of the Konoha Cyberninja behind him, there was little that any internal threat could do to oppose him. Therefore, it would be wise to align his own faction with that of the Fire Daimyo's.

As it was, the Fire Daimyo had no wife or heir. There had been the most fabulous rumors spread that he had secretly married the Princess of Whirlpool Country shortly before attaining the throne. While Whirlpool Country had been occupied by Water Country, and most of the royal family killed, there has never been any proof that the Princess had been found. While the time frame fit, Namikaze's bid for the throne and the disappearance of the Whirlpool Princess, it would be obvious that he would have revealed the existence of his wife and heir, if he had one. The political climate was at the point that it was safe to reveal them, and it had been for at least 8 or 9 years.

Something clicked in Hiashi's brain. Pulling up the Matrix, he ran a deep scan, using all of the power behind Hyuuga Corp's supercomputers. Remembering something from long ago, he ran the name Uzumaki.

When he was a teenager, there had been a civil war in Whirlpool country. Their Daimyo was overthrown by the nobles, but the fight for who would seize the throne was getting out of hand. Fire Country had sent a large contingent of troops there to keep the peace… one that included Namikaze Minato. It was there that the current Daimyo's military career had begun. Though the details were hazy, it was a long time since he had thought about the incident, Namikaze had become General of the forces there. He had thrown the weight of the Fire Army behind the Uzumaki family… who had gone on to seize control of the country.

That was the connection, and a self-satisfied smirk adorned his face. The Uzumaki Family were the Royal Family of Whirlpool Country. The Whirlpool Princess was never found, and her disappearance occurred at nearly the same time that Namikaze attained the Royal Throne of Fire Country. If he had not felt safe to reveal his spouse and, hopefully, child, then he would have hidden them in plane sight… as a minor noble family.

With a small sound, his search engine finished searching. There were only two matches found. One for Uzumaki Kushina, and her son, Uzumaki Naruto. Unfortunately, Uzumaki Kushina was registered as deceased, and Uzumaki Naruto… wait, it had to be a mistake…

He was registered as living at ground level. That was no place for a noble, let alone the son of the Daimyo. Maybe it was a mistake… but, then again, even if it wasn't, Hinata would be off of his hands and out of the clan. If he was correct, then the Hyuuga would be directly tied with the Royal Family. That would just make his day… screw that, it would make his _decade_.

* * *

The Fire Daimyo had ceased meeting with his subjects personally: there had been too many attempts on his life for that to continue. No, he met with them on the Matrix. An entire throne room had been created for these meetings, and with the extensive amount of anti-virus and other electronic protective measures, it was impossible to do him harm. That was where Hiashi found himself.

The plan was perfect. As the Uzumaki were considered a noble family, even if the only member left lived at ground level, then it was socially acceptable for him to request an arranged marriage between his daughter and Uzumaki Naruto. If the Fire Daimyo denied his request, then Hiashi would know that there was some sort of connection between the two, and he could, possibly, use that as an edge. If the marriage was allowed, and there was a connection, then the Hyuuga would gain a major foothold above all of the other royal families. If Uzumaki was not connected in any way with the nobility, well, at least Hinata would be off of his hands without a stain on his honor. Any way this turns out, Hiashi would walk out a winner.

"Hyuuga Hiashi… to what do I owe the… _pleasure_." The word was spoken with such guarded emotion that it left no doubts in Hiashi's mind that it was anything but.

"My lord, I wish to arrange a marriage between my daughter, Hyuuga Hinata, and Uzumaki Naruto." The Fire Daimyo chuckled.

"You never were one for dragging things out. Short and to the point. I like that…" for a few moments, silence permeated the metaphysical throne room. Even though it was just a computer rendered image, it felt so real that it was almost like actually being there.

"Why do you wish this arrangement, Hyuuga-san?"

"… I feel that much good could come from this marriage, my lord."

"Oh? And why, precisely, do you think that?"

"… I'm sure we both know the reason, my lord." Hiashi's gaze met the Fire Daimyo's. For a second, the man stiffened. No one else would have caught it, but the Byakugan doesn't lie, not even in the Matrix. Hiashi smirked, knowingly. The last piece had fallen into place.

The choice was on the table. Either accept, or your secret will be revealed. No words need voice this fact. Nobles had long since learned to communicate without words, using context and roundabout speech.

"… very well. It shall be done." The Fire Daimyo practically glared at the kneeling noble. "I will arrange everything. Send your daughter to the Palace this Saturday along with anything she wishes to bring. Be in the Court of Nobles by 10:00 or I will assume that you wish to call off the marriage."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord." Hiashi bowed his head again, his nose nearly touching the ground, as was fitting for someone facing the Daimyo.

"Make no mistake, Hyuuga-san. Cross me and you will regret it. Threaten me, and my revenge will be swift and merciless. Do no attempt to coerce me, ever. Your life _depends_ on it."

Hiashi quickly bowed again as he disconnected. It was set. This would either make him or break him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to go down in flames. The Hyuuga would always rise, always move towards the sun, just as their name described.

* * *

"Get up."

Hinata started, falling out of a rather complex dream that she was already forgetting. Quickly, she glanced around the room, finding the source of her rather unwelcome wakeup call. Her father stood in the doorway, a look of barely contained contempt on his face.

She struggled to sit up, still unused to the movements of her new arm. The mechanical limb was far more technologically advanced than most, but it would never be able to replace a real arm. Sure, with modern nerve-splicing technology she had a limited amount of sensation from it, thanks to subtle sensors, but it still felt fake.

"Y-yes, father." She, rather self-consciously, waited until her father had closed the door before throwing the blanked aside. Carefully standing up from her futon, she glanced around the room, attempting to make sense of the distorted images she received. After all, her mechanical eye did not have the range of motion that her real eye did, and as such did not have as large of a visual range.

Sliding open her closet door, she chose a rather simple outfit. A rather large portion of her clan chose to wear more formal kimono robes and other forms of traditional dress. Most of the others wore business suits, as their positions demanded that attire. She, instead, chose to wear a pair of capris, a simple tee-shirt, and a hooded jacket over that. While the jacket was not required in the nearly completely climate controlled world of the Uppercity, it served it's purposes, namely hiding her budding assets, and more recently, her cybernetic arm. After quickly straightening her hair, she left her room.

She knew her father wouldn't wait outside for her: he wasn't that kind of person. Instead, she made her way to his personal study. He sat in front of a simple holographic projector, going over some of Hyuuga Corp's paperwork. She waited, silently, until he was ready to address her.

"I've decided that banishing you will not serve the clan."

Her heart jumped a bit. Was it at all possible that he would let her stay? Even after she had broken one of the clan's most sacred unwritten laws, he may still care enough to let her stay! Her world came crashing down with his next statement.

"Instead, you are to be married."

Marriage… that wasn't something she had expected. Oh, she knew that if she failed to take the title of heiress that she would most likely be forced to marry. It was a fact of life to all noble women. Like all girls, she had fantasized about meeting the right guy, falling in love, and then getting married. This… this was undoubtedly arranged. After all, she had to be _useful_ to the clan. Forging alliances by selling her off to the highest bidder was _useful_.

"Yes, father." Her meek reply leapt to her lips, unbidden. It was practically an automatic response by now. Her father accepted nothing less than complete subservience. At least it made it easier to stay on his good side, if you played it right. That was a lesson she had learned the hard way.

"You are betrothed to Uzumaki Naruto. Go pack your things; you are to be at the Central Bureaucracy Tower by 10 o'clock. I will have transportation ready for you. Do not be late or I _will_ banish you."

"Yes father."

A quick bow later and she was already retreating to her room. She had very few personal effects. A few knick-knacks here, a stuffed bear there, a fair amount of cloths, and a few holos were all she packed, besides her maintenance kit for her _attachments_.

The time passed in a haze. Whether it was because she was in shock or because of the tears fogging up her non-mechanical eye, she couldn't tell. Before she knew it, her bags were loaded into a hovercraft and she was off to face her destiny.

Silently, she mused. Few happy thoughts passed through the fog clouding her brain. Melancholy, cynical thoughts choked them out before they could take root and lift her spirits. Bittersweet described her feelings. She was finally getting out from under her father, only to be sold to another master. There were no reservations. Court marriages were notorious for being loveless. All she could hope for was that her new _master_ was kinder than her last.

She barely registered stopping at the CBT and switching crafts, nor the three other times she was transferred to a new hovercraft. She barely even registered the fact that the Fire Daimyo himself was sitting across from her. Depression tends to cut one off from the world.

* * *

He was almost there… just a little closer… one last firewall and Water Country's secrets were his! Carefully weaving a few more lines of code, he further weakened the last barrier preventing him from hacking into one of the most secure servers in existence. Then someone knocked on the door.

Cursing, he lost his focus and had to act carefully to prevent being traced. Quickly bringing some of his backup programs to the front, he bombarded the server's countermeasures with spyware and a myriad of viruses and Trojans of his own making. While their countermeasures were busy clearing out the more immanent threat, he carefully extracted himself from the firewalls and erased any possible way to trace the source of the hack. Finally, once he was assured that he was safe, he logged off.

Carefully standing up so as not to aggravate his aching joints, as sitting cross legged on the floor for hours at a time will do that, he stalked his way to the door, intending to give whoever it was a piece of his mind… or a bullet to the brain.

"What do you…?"

The words died in his mouth as he saw who it was. He practically bristled at the person standing in the doorway, his hand twitching, longing to reach for the pistol at his hip. The presence of several well armed and armored bodyguards stopped that notion, no matter how much he wished to follow through with it.

"Is that any way to treat your father, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto's scowl deepened. Of all people, why was _he_ deciding to visit?

"I apologize for my rudeness, Daimyo-sama."

Despite his words, his actions made it perfectly clear that he was not at all apologetic. Grudgingly, he stepped aside and let the small group into his rather humble apartment.

It wasn't much, and most certainly not fit for the son of the Daimyo. There was little more than a very small living room with only a couch and a holoscreen, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. The furniture looked like it was practically falling apart, and the poorly done plaster walls were cracked and falling apart. The internal frame of the building was visible through the myriad of holes. All in all, it looked like exactly what the nobles had come to expect from the ground level: a dump.

"Your apartment has a certain… quaintness to it."

"Just tell me what you want and get out!"

One of the bodyguards stepped towards the boy, yelling "Show some respect for the Daimyo, brat!"

With a flash, Naruto's arm darted forward. He hit the man in the gut with an open palm strike. When he pulled his arm back, a blood covered blade withdrew from the man's gut, retracting into Naruto's obviously mechanical arm. The guard's mouth worked, but no sound came out of it as he fell against the wall, leaving a streak of blood as he slid down it.

When the other bodyguard brought his weapon to bear, Naruto's other hand pulled the pistol from his holster. Quickly, he fired off a precise shot, the bullet striking the other guard right between the eyes. The back of the guard's head exploded, sending blood and grey matter splattering against the opposite wall. The corpse dropped where it stood, never to move again.

"Naruto!"

Before the words were even out of the Daimyo's mouth, he was staring down the barrel of Naruto's pistol.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you now."

"Because I'm your _father_."

"Some father. I didn't even know you existed until last year. I lived down here, down on the streets until you _finally_ remembered that you raped my mother and she got knocked up! The only reason you _ever_ tracked me down was because I was suddenly useful to you! A bastard child is better than no child at all, isn't it? Shouldn't have fucked around with all those whores and maybe your bits would still work."

"Naruto-"

"Just tell me what you want and get out."

"God dammit, Naruto, will you just listen to me for a moment!"

The blond haired hacker just pulled back the hammer on his gun. "30 seconds."

The Daimyo of Fire Country, arguably the most powerful man in the world merely blinked. Intelligently, he said "What?"

"You have 30 seconds until I blow your brains out."

"… very well. You're to be married."

"… what?"

"I've chosen you a bride from a noble family. You are to marry her, learn the ways of the courts, and join me as the Heir Apparent."

"Isn't it enough that you control an entire country? Do you have to continually fuck up my life?"

"Son, please-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!"

The man shut his mouth. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the two had problems. The son glared with anger, and the father stared with regret. Trouble in paradise just didn't seem to cover the scope of the situation.

"… Naruto, if you don't marry her, she's going to be banished to the Undercity."

"Yeah, well, it's fathers like you that fuck shit up like that."

"Please… just do this for me."

"Why should I do anything for you? I've survived on my own this long, and quite comfortably too, until you came along. I don't want to have anything to do with you, don't you get it!"

"Do you really not care about the wellbeing of the citizens of Fire Country?"

"…"

"If I do not declare an Heir, the nobles will begin squabbling over the line of succession. I know the Cyberninja will have a field day with all the assassination, but do you realize what this would do to the rest of the population? Bombings killing countless civilians, clans hiring gangs and thugs to bully the populace into supporting them, other countries _invading!_ Is all of that unimportant to you? Will you let them all die just because you want to get revenge because I made a mistake?"

"… that's all I ever was to you. A mistake. And now I'm a mistake that has a use."

"… please. I'm at my wit's end. I don't know what else to do. I can't make any more heirs, you know that. I can't just nominate a person from one family or another. It would start a civil war. Naruto… son… I need you to do this. I know it's asking a lot from you, but… please. I'll do anything." Namikaze Minato, Daimyo of Fire Country got down on his knees, placed his hands on the floor, and nearly touched his forehead to the floor in a traditional bow. He was, quite literally, placing his life in the hands of his own son, one who was merely a step away from killing him.

Naruto's jaw clenched. It was taking all of his willpower to keep the gun steady. The tension kept building. His trigger finger kept twitching, itching to pull that trigger, to just give up on this man that just happened to spawn him.

With a resigned sigh, Naruto un-cocked the hammer and slid the gun back in it's holster.

"… thank you."

"Whatever, old man. I don't care about your stupid court. I'm doing things my way, and if people don't like it, they can reason with my bullets."

Although greatly lessened, the tension was still palatable. Then, Minato grinned.

"You should see your new bride, she's quite a looker."

Naruto scoffed and looked away, crossing his arms across his chest. The slight blush that adorned his cheeks caused Minato to chuckle.

"Whatever. Get someone to clean this up, _dad_. I'm gonna go get some food."

Minato sighed. "Please, go get ready. I'll be there in a bit. Lunch is on me. By the way, your bride is still in the 'craft. You might want to get to know her a bit. Who knows, you might like her."

"Tch. Says the man who's only gotten laid by raping princesses and paying whores."

Naruto stalked into his room, leaving a thoroughly depressed and somewhat angry Minato to call the clean up crew. He slid off the loose hoodie and shorts he wore, replacing them with a pair of well-fitting pants. The pseudo-silk felt nice, but that wasn't why he bought it. Carefully, he pulled on the lower half of a suit of Flexiguard. It was a rather well protective armor suit that didn't hinder any sort of movement. Unfortunately, it also left a few gaps that could be exploited by a skilled opponent. The chest piece was pulled on next, over top a pseudo-silk tank top. He didn't bother with protecting his arms. They were cybernetic and could be easily replaced. His cybernetic arms blended well with the armor, leaving no weak spots on the shoulder. The chest piece also adequately protected the vital organs in his torso. He clipped on a collar next, pushing a button on the side and calmly observing several pieced of metal climb up the back of his head down to his forehead and up his neck to cover the lower half of his face. Finally, he pulled on a pair of goggles, somewhat resembling the old night vision goggles of ages past, although much more technologically advanced.

Feeling secure, finally, he disengaged his helmet piece, watching as it folded back on itself back into the collar. He pulled the goggles up to rest on his forehead, letting them hold back his blonde locks that so reminded him of his father, preventing it from getting in his eyes.

He strapped on his pistol holster, securing it, before pulling down a compact rifle from the wall. He tapped it against the back of his armor, and the computer there magnetized the metal plate to hold the rifle in place. Finally, he pulled on a pair of boots that went with the armor. Fully armed and armored, he walked passed his bemused parent, who was calling a clean up crew for the place, and made his way to the car.

* * *

Hinata finally pulled herself out of her stupor once she realized that they had stopped and hadn't moved for a while. Somewhat calmly, she looked around at the dilapidated buildings and dirty streets. Everything was artificially lit, since most of the tall buildings occluded the sun at any given time of the day in this part of the city. Somewhat curiously, she observed, for the first time, the Lowercity. Dark shadows shrouded the entrances to alleyways and areas that the lights didn't reveal. Many were burnt out, giving the place a dreary, spooky, even dangerous feeling. Even though it was close to noon, it looked like it was midnight, for the most part.

Despite the dark, quite a few pedestrians roamed the walkways. Some were carrying groceries and other various purchases. They all looked different, some large and muscled, some small. The one thing they all had in common was that they all carried some sort of weapon. Her mechanical eye constantly zoomed in and out, identifying each and every weapon, pulling up stats and specs on it over the net.

Absently, she noted that the door to the building they were parked next to opened and a rather intimidating figure stepped out. The effect would have been more profound if it wasn't for the fact that he looked barely older than her 14 years. That caught her attention. She stared closely through the tinted glass of the vehicle.

The boy's blonde locks were carefree, and spiked all over the place to prove it, barely held back by the goggles on his forehead. His blue eyes, although possessing a spark of mischievousness, were jaded, disillusioned. They carefully monitored his surroundings as he calmly approached the vehicle. She absently noted that her eye identified his mechanical arms, again pulling up stats on them. The armor was rather impressive, she decided after her eye identified it as well. It had built in nanobots to actively repair it if it was damaged. It was far superior to the bulky armor most of the Hyuuga guards wore. She noticed the stock of a rifle poking out over the boy's shoulder, but there wasn't enough revealed to give the eye an accurate estimation as to what model it was.

There was something about him that she couldn't put her finger on. The tattooed whisker marks on his cheeks were a nice touch to the overall look, but weren't exactly what was bothering her. It wasn't until the Fire Daimyo stepped out behind the boy and stood next to him that she made the connection.

They had the same blonde hair, the same blue eyes, the same physique (what she could see under the armor, that is) and both carried themselves as if they were expert warriors. It was unnerving. In fact…

A cold feeling of dread struck her, and her adrenal glands kicked into overtime. The boy was the Daimyo's son. There was no doubt about it. He was practically a clone of the taller man beside him. After hearing about the ruthlessness of the Fire Daimyo all her life, she had developed a healthy fear of him, as had all the nobles. His son looked exactly like him, so chances were that they were similar in personality. The thought was almost enough to make her faint.

This… this must be her future husband. The Fire Daimyo's son… Oh, her father really picked it this time. Everything he had done had made her life difficult, but this just made it a veritable hell. If she wasn't already cried out, she would have burst into a fresh round of tears.

* * *

"Come on, Naruto. We need to get going."

"… whatever."

Carefully closing and locking the door behind him, Naruto turned and fallowed Minato into the rather out of place hovercraft. There was no way that a vehicle as high quality as this had any good reason for being in the Lowercity. It was way to conspicuous, but, of course, his _father_ just had to go in style.

He took a seat almost directly across from his father, sitting next to the practically cowering girl. Sending one last glare at Minato, he absently waved his hand.

"Driver, go to these coordinates."

"Understood, sir."

The miffed look on Minato's face was worth it. Smirking over his petty victory, he turned to the girl next to him. Somehow, he couldn't think of anything to say.

Her blue-black hair was trimmed to her shoulder. It was perfectly straight and was kept well groomed. Although she had been crying and her one biological eye was puffy and red, he still noted the extremely pale lavender color and lack of a pupil.

'_Great, a Hyuuga. Fine, choose me a bride, but god dammit, why did it have to be one from the most stuck up clan in all of Fire Country?'_

In any case, she wasn't too bad looking. Although her simple jacket concealed her figure quite well, his trained eye could see that she was well developed for her age. Although he knew that the Hyuuga resented cybernetic accessories, he noted that both her left arm and left eye were mechanical. Probably why she was chosen to marry him, after all, he was from a very minor clan and no one knew of his father.

All in all, she wasn't that bad, as far as nobles went, but between the fact that she had been crying and had most likely been practically cast out of her clan, he didn't think that they would hit it off so well.

"Hinata-san, I would like to introduce you to my son, Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto, meet Hyuuga Hinata."

Minato watched bemusedly as the two turned to regard each other with jaded looks. Oh, now this would not do.

"Well, by the laws and bylaws of Fire Country, I pronounce you husband and wife." Out of no where, Minato handed them a saucer of sake. Following the traditions, Hinata took it and offered it to Naruto. He absently sipped and handed it back. After a few repeats until the saucer was empty, they did nothing but drink and continue to observe.

"Sir, we have arrived at our destination."

"Excellent. I'll leave you two alone. Join me when you're ready."

Although the phrase was innocent enough, the innuendo behind it left the two blushing, although still wary. Finally, Naruto broke down and spoke first.

"Hyu… Hinata-san, I realize that neither of us want to be married. But… I'd rather not have you hate me. I realize that we'll probably never love each other, but…" he held his hand out to her "could we at least be friends?"

"F… friends?"

Slowly, cautiously, she tentatively held her hand out and gently grasped his.

Naruto gave a little grin.

"Thank you. Um… would you join me for lunch?"

"O-ok."

He escorted her out of the vehicle to the small restaurant it was parked next to. The old, fading sign read "Ichiraku's" The building itself wasn't much better, but it was cleaner than most places around it. The newlyweds entered and sat down. Slowly, the two opened up to conversation over their ramen, gently becoming used to each other. It was slow, but the two began to open up to each other, almost completely ignoring Minato, who was too wrapped up in his own bowl to pay attention.

About half way through the meal, Minato straightened up and got a glazed over look in his eyes. A minute later he snapped out of it.

"… dammit! I'm sorry, son, but I've gotta go. Urgent business. Think you can make it back without the 'craft?"

"I've been getting around on my own since I was 8. Without parents to help out, you learn to be self sufficient."

Minato cringed slightly at the barb. Kushina had died 6 years ago, caught in the crossfire between a gang and some Shadow Runners who were taking them out. It had taken him 3 years to track down Naruto after that, since the boy kept moving periodically. Even then, he hadn't contacted him until last year, and that was only because the nobles had been pestering for him to declare an heir. Never once had Naruto failed to remind him of his failures, and he regretted them now more than ever.

"… I'm sorry. I'll see if I can come by later tonight… wait, scratch that. Tonight's your honeymoon. I'll come by tomorrow if I can catch an hour or two away from the paperwork."

"Whatever. Don't let the country fall apart, old man."

"Wouldn't dream of it, son."

Naruto turned back to Hinata and they resumed chatting as Minato set down a few big bills and practically sprinted back to the 'craft. The didn't even notice as it took off into the sky, dodging the platforms and what little traffic there was in the Lowercity.

After the two had eaten their fill, Naruto eating almost thrice what Hinata ate, the two left the stand and started walking down the better lit portions of the street. The two lapsed into a slightly uncomfortable silence, having run out of topics. Tired of the silence as they walked, Naruto took a glance at her arm.

"So… why did you go with the Hiroko 3650? I mean, yeah, it's a top of the line model, but it's not the best out there. Sure, it's got a fast training time, but it's a lot weaker than most models you could have gotten. It's not really a great combat model…"

"Um… my father didn't want me to get one at all. He would have preferred I stayed crippled for the rest of my life."

Naruto wasn't really surprised at the bitterness in her voice.

"Seems like both of our fathers are assholes."

Hinata didn't say anything, but she nodded her consent.

"Um… what did you mean by a fast training time?"

"Well, that arm was designed so that it would be easy for people to adapt to moving it. It's supposed to be the easiest to adapt to."

"Really? I've had it for a couple of weeks and it's still giving me problems." Hinata self-consciously moved and 'flexed' the arm, but the movements were jerky. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. He reached out and gently grabbed her mechanical wrist. He pulled up the sleeve of her jacket and inspected the arm, holding by it's hand. His eyes went blank for a moment as they walked, but when they refocused he looked annoyed.

"Well, the problem isn't the arm. And don't worry; it isn't your fault either. Your implant is an older, outdated model. It doesn't have the right capabilities to control such a high tech arm with any accuracy."

"Oh… but, what can we do about it?"

"Tomorrow I can take you by a Cyberware store. They can replace your implant in under an hour and get you something that'll really put some kick into that arm."

The pun wasn't lost on Hinata, as she giggled a little bit. The two continued to walk down the walkway, both noticing that neither had let go of the other's hand, mechanical or not, nor did they care all that much. To them, it just felt right. They were married, after all.

"Here, if we cut through this alley we'll be right next to my place. It'll be easier than going down the next block to get there."

"O-ok, if you're sure."

The two turned into a very dark, dank alley. The light was dim, so Naruto pulled his goggles over his eyes with his free hand, activating the night vision. Hinata had already switched her mechanical eye's night vision feature on. The alley, although not as bright as day, looked much brighter than the street they had left, even though they weren't using their night vision then.

"Oh, what have we here? A couple of punks wandering down a dark alley?"

"Didn't your parents ever tell you to stay away from these places?"

A couple of thugs were blocking their path. Naruto turned, but the alley was blocked by a couple more behind them. Naruto gently pushed Hinata to the side of the alley, close to the wall. His other hand drifted to his pistol, silently drawing it.

"Didn't you ever learn to pick your battles wisely? You never know when someone's better than you."

"Hah, as if a brat like you could beat all four of us. We're members of the Daggers. We own this area. So drop any valuables you have and we might let you off easy… if we feel like it."

"Funny, I was gonna say the same thing."

"You little punk! Don't get cocky, we outnumber you 4 to 1, there's no way you can win!"

"Really? Then maybe you should try fighting without your leg."

As he spoke, the guy's knee gave away and he slammed to the ground. A satisfying crunch signaled the impact from his face to the concrete.

"You little shit! You're gonna pay for that!"

The three remaining members charged at Naruto, intending to catch him off guard. The two behind were only a few steps away when they started screaming and clutching their foreheads. They dropped like rocks, blood pouring from the noses and ears. The other guy stopped in his tracks a look of surprise and no small amount of fear. He paid dearly for his hesitance when Naruto lifted his pistol and shot the guy in the knee. He collapsed, but since his cry was only in surprise it was clear that his leg was cybernetic. Naruto calmly approached him, kicking him in the ribs and rolling him onto his back.

"Daggers, huh? Why don't you go crawling back to your base and tell them not to mess with me. No one outwits the Cyberfox. Come one, Hinata."

The timid girl carefully stepped around the guys, somewhat scared because of Naruto's cold calculating fighting style, and somewhat amused as the last guys tried crawling away by pulling his body along with his arms. He was practically pissing himself from fear.

The two made it out of the alleyway and into Naruto's house. He grinned sheepishly, saying "Sorry it's a bit of a mess. I'm not the neatest bachelor around…"

"No, it's fine. I don't know what I'd do if I lived on my own…" Hinata trailed off.

"Yeah, well… sorry about those thugs. That gang's been getting on my nerves recently. Maybe I should teach them a lesson."

"Ano… Naruto, why did he get scared when he heard 'Cyberfox'?"

"Um… well, that's because that's my handle. I'm a hacker, one of the best there is. Not to brag, but I've out-hacked a few Jounin in my time. I'm kinda famous in the underworld. Just about the only places I can't hack are government information servers. I almost had Water Country's cracked earlier today, but _dad_ interrupted me."

"Oh… So you're the one who put the malware in the Yamanaka servers…"

"Well, they deserved it. Besides, _father_ actually asked me to do that. They were getting too powerful. So, I knocked them down a few pegs."

"Ah… I see. Um… is it hard to learn how to hack?"

"Not really, if you've got the right teacher… why, do you wanna learn?"

"Ano… if it's not too much trouble…"

"Hinata, we're married. Of course I'll teach you. You'll probably need it, being the future Daimyo's wife…"

Hinata froze up for a moment… She was married to the Daimyo's son… he was the Crown Prince… she was the Crown Princess… It was almost too good to be true. Somewhere, she had acknowledged that she'd be in a place of power because of this marriage, but the scope of it only really struck her then. She was going to be the second most powerful person in Fire Country… It was like a dream come true! As a little girl she'd always dreamed that a Samurai would come sweep her off her feet and carry her off to be a princess and eventually a queen, but she'd never actually thought that it would have happened. But… the realistic side of her knew that she'd be in danger. Unless Naruto controlled the nobles, there would be attempts on her life. If what she just saw was any indication, being a hacker could help her defend herself…

"Ano… I would love to learn."

"Alright then! I'll take you by the Cyberware store tomorrow and we'll get you some upgrades. Trust me, you'll need them."

"Ano… I don't mean to be rude, but how will you afford them?"

"Hinata, I only live on the ground level to piss off my father. I've got more than enough money to pay for these parts a hundred times over."

"O-oh."

Naruto grinned and put his arm around her shoulder. The close contact flustered her, and Naruto seemed to be blushing a little bit as well.

"Hey, Hinata, have you ever played a hologame?"

* * *

Ok! I hope you guys enjoyed this! It's a pretty radical change from the canon universe, but don't worry: you'll see quite a few ninja pretty soon.

Anyway, like I said before, if you review could you please tell me at least one thing you liked and one thing you didn't like? I would really appreciate it, and it would help me write better.

Also, if you have any questions, please ask me and I'll post the answers in the next chapter. Or I might just answer them in a PM. In any case, they'll be answered.

Anyway, thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! I'd like to thank you guys for your reviews! I really appreciate it! I wasn't sure how this story would be accepted, it's so different from normal Canon or even most fanon. It's a bastard child of my hyperactive imaination and my slight roleplaying obsession. Even so, I was slightly reluctant to write this chapter. It's really just another one that lays out the world, clearing up some of the concepts, but not a whole lot of plot development. That'll come next chapter when... oops, almost spoiled it.. . Anyway, I know it took a long time for this to get finished, but I wasn't sure if it was good enough. In the end, I decided to go with it, even though the last little bit did come out a little bit forced. Meh.

Anyway, the next chapter will have a lot more action and more plot development. But, that won't be out for a while. I'm definately gonna be tweaking it for a while, hopefully really getting you guys (and gals, if there are any reading this) into the story a lot better.

But, in any case, enjoy!

* * *

The two had spent several hours playing hologames, just chatting and enjoying the games. Hinata had never played a hologame before, so Naruto had to teach her. She was a quick learner, though. Eventually the two began to get tired. Having finished, they shut down the games and sat back on the couch in silence. It was Hinata who spoke up.

"Ano… Naruto, I've been thinking about what happened in the alley way. How is it that you're so good?"

"… My father had taken my mother to protect her from the people taking over Whirlpool Country. She was a princess there. They had spent some time together, and apparently my father liked her, but she didn't like him. One night he got tired of her refusals and raped her. She ran away as soon as she could and lived down here on the streets. She took care of me until she got sick, when I was 8. That was when she died. Father had kept track of her, but I knew nothing about it. I kept moving from place to place, learning how to hack partially on my own, but other times I had a teacher. None of them lasted very long, either because they were killed, getting caught by the government, or getting tired of teaching me. I became a Shadow Runner when I was 10. Since my mother didn't have me at a hospital, I didn't have a SIN. Because of that, it was harder for security companies and the government to track me. Shadow Runners are something like mercenaries. We get paid to do stuff. Most of the easier missions are courier missions; just take an item to a certain place. Some are a lot harder. Just recently, I hacked into the Ares mainframe and stole the company's prototype blueprints. I was hired by Ranraku, and the pay was nearly six digits."

"So… Shadow Runners are like Cyberninja?"

"Yes and no. We do a lot of the same missions that Cyberninja do, but we aren't a part of a Village or anything. That, and we aren't as professionally trained. There are quite a few Missing-nin who become Shadow Runners. The Hidden Village of Grass was actually a group of Shadow Runners as one time, but a Missing-nin joined them, took over, and began training them as Cyberninja. Eventually, they took the name of one of the ancient villages."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, I've been running missions since I was 10, and I've been through a lot of shootouts. The reason I'm so good is because my pistol is a Smart gun. It's got built in auto-locks and auto-targets. It offers a lot more accuracy. It works in sync with my cyber arm, and all I have to do is choose a target and decide when to pull the trigger. "

"Oh… Do you think my arm could do that?"

"Yeah! The Hiroko 3650 has one of the best accuracy ratings when in sync with an auto-target. I could even sync that up with your eye to give you even better accuracy. Though, you'll need to practice."

"Ok. Ano… Naruto, please don't get offended, but… you're really not what I expected."

"… what makes you say that?"

"The Fire Daimyo is not a nice man. He's ruthless and cruel. I've heard about him, and he never lets his prisoners go alive. You… you're nothing like him. I mean, what you did to those guys in the alley way, none of them died, did they?"

"…no. Those two that were behind us, though, they might have some brain damage. I overloaded their implants, sending electricity directly through their brains. They're alive, but who knows if they'll recover."

"Oh… but, there's still a chance, right?"

"Yeah… You know what? I like that about you."

"L-like what?"

"You're so caring. Even though those guys probably would have killed me and raped you, you still care about them. After living on the streets for so long, seeing kindness like that is really refreshing."

"T-thank you."

The two lapsed into silence. Naruto looked like he was deep in thought, but kept stealing glances at his new wife. Hinata was blushing lightly, though she too kept glancing at him.

"Um… Hinata, I think it's time to go to bed."

"Ano… you only have one bed, though."

"That's ok, you can have it. I'll sleep on the couch."

"I couldn't do that to you. This is your house, so please, you use the bed."

"I wake up pretty early, and I don't think you'd appreciate it if I walked out here and you were in your skivvies."

Hinata blushed "its n-not like it m-matters. We're married now…"

"Oh, yeah… forgot about that. It was really sudden, though. I mean… I don't mean to be rude or anything, but we barely know each other. It's strange to think that we're married."

Hinata nodded in agreement. After a moment, she said "I-if we're m-married, then we could s-share the b-bed…"

"Yeah… it's not like we're doing anything wrong… I mean, the Fire Daimyo married us himself, so…"

"I-I'll go get ch-changed for bed."

Hinata stood up and took a look around. It was only then that she realized something.

"N-naruto…"

"Yeah?"

"Ano… my bags are still in the hovercraft I came here on…"

"Oh… well, I have tee-shirt and a pair of shorts you could wear…"

"T-thank you."

Naruto walked into his room and went through his drawers, finding the cloths Hinata needed. He handed them to her, she thanked him quietly and walked into the bathroom to change. Naruto changed into his own pair of shorts, but he didn't like sleeping with a shirt on. This, Naruto reasoned, would be an entirely new experience for him. For as long as he could remember, he had his own room. He supposed that, eventually, he would be sharing a bed with his wife. The thing was, he barely knew Hinata. She was really nice, and he did like her, but he wasn't sure if he could fall in love with her. It could happen, he reasoned, but there was always the chance that it wouldn't work out. They were stuck together, though, for better or for worse.

Hinata was in a similar situation. She'd never had to share a bed before. The Hyuuga were far to rich to let that happen. Her mother had died years ago, and her father wasn't the type to let a scared daughter sleep next to him. This situation was a lot different from anything like that, though. I mean, Naruto was her husband. She had been given lessons since she was 10 about how to act during court, proper etiquette, manners, and most importantly, how to treat her husband. The very first rule was that a wife must do anything a husband asks. She liked Naruto, and she may even 'like' like him, but she didn't know if she was ready for any kind of intimate relations. Oh, as a lady of the court, she was taught the proper way to please a husband (not first hand, of course, but through holos and books). If Naruto asked it of her, she would give herself to him to consummate the marriage, but she hoped it wouldn't happen yet. Maybe… in time, if she liked him enough, she would offer herself to him… Until then, though, she wasn't sure.

When she finished changing, she left the bathroom and went to Naruto's room. Having grown up with little to no exposure to members of the opposite sex, she blushed, seeing him without a shirt. He had a decent physique, well outlined muscles that were toned from hours of martial arts exercises. His lithe figure was the stuff of her fantasies, and the fact that they were married didn't hinder them any. After all, it was acceptable for a noble to blush and feel aroused from her husband.

Naruto, in turn, took a moment to look over Hinata as she walked in. The shorts were slightly baggy, and the tee-shirt was too large. Her legs, what he could see of them, were well shaped. Definitely womanly, and well shaped because of her training in the Hyuuga arts. No members of the clan went without training in their martial arts style, the Jyuken. Her breasts, while adequately covered, still managed to be hinted at, despite the bagginess of the shirt she wore. Naruto had to admit, she really was a beauty.

Seeing that she wasn't coming back to reality any time soon on her own, he coughed twice. She snapped out of her musings with an ever reddening blush.

"Hinata, do you want the side of the bed closer to the heater? It's a lot more comfortable…"

Indeed, there was a built in heating unit to one side of the bed. The house was adequately warm, but should it get cold in the night, that side would be the most comfortable.

"Y-yes, if you don't mind."

"Ok then. Hop on in whenever you're ready."

Naruto scooted over, clearing some much needed room on the somewhat smallish bed. There was just enough room for the two to sleep next to each other without pushing the other off, but there would inevitably be some contact. All in all, though, it could have been worse.

Naruto stared at her as she walked over, partially mesmerized by the sway of her hips. He pulled back the blanket for her, allowing her to situate herself next to him. Once they were situated, Naruto hunkered down, covering as much as he could with the blanket to prevent getting cold. Hinata followed suit. The two lay somewhat comfortably next to the other, though both were slightly flustered from the close contact. Naruto sent a command to his lights, sending the two of them into darkness.

Neither tossed or turned in fear of making the other uncomfortable, but neither were quick to get to sleep. Eventually, fatigue overcame them and they drifted off.

Hinata woke first, just laying in bed rather than getting up right away like she usually did. The first thing she noticed once properly awake was an arm around her waist. The next was the pressure of someone pushing against her back. At first, she was slightly panicked, but just as quickly she remembered recent events. It was… nice. She relaxed into his embrace, even as his deep breathing indicated he was still deeply asleep.

She smiled, truly content in the longest time she could remember. Life with the Hyuuga was plush, but never truly comfortable. There were so many rules that _must_ be obeyed. The punishments for breaking them were swift and severe. Life was nothing more than a routine there, every day practically exactly like the last. It was more monotonous than a monotone, monochromatic modern piece of art.

All Hyuuga learned the exact same things… at least, the men all learned the same things, like how to run businesses. The females learned how to run households, some simple business, and the proper way to behave in court. All Hyuuga learned how to use the Byakugan and how to use the Jyuken. The members were supposed to be crappy carbon copies, cookie cut-outs, comparably criminal cretins.

Hinata was different, and because of that she was practically outcast in her own clan. She never really fit in, and the Hyuuga clan believed in the philosophy that the nail that sticks out will be hammered in. Despite her shy and reserved nature, she refused to be hammered in, which is why her father practically detested her. He was more than willing to get rid of her even before the new limbs, but once that happened, he married her off almost right away. It wasn't the marriage she regretted. No, that she could work out, especially since Naruto seemed like a really nice guy. While she may not ever love him, she could certainly be his friend. Sure, they would have other benefits, the kind of stuff that made her blush, but there was no way she could know if they would fall in love.

In truth, what really hurt her was the rejection. Her clan, her father, her sister… they all distanced themselves from her because she was different. It was not something she liked, but she resolved to push past it and move on with her life. A life as the Fire Princess, and later on, the Fire Daimyo's wife. She would rise past what she could have been with her clan and show that it was only the nails that stood out that got anywhere. Otherwise, you're just stuck in the wood.

Naruto felt warm. It was a nice feeling. Not the too-warm sensation of sleeping too close to the heater, or the excess body heat warm from a nice blanket, but the warmth from another body. He opened his eyes without moving any other part of his body, looking directly into a mass of blue-black hair. The memories of the previous day came rushing back. His _wife_. The word felt strange coming off of his tongue. He'd never imagined that he'd be married at 14. Then again, few could imagine making their first kill at 11, or hacking into a government database at 12.

His life hadn't been easy. He vaguely remembered his mother. Mostly it was her kind smile, bright eyes, and flaming red hair. She was, to him, a goddess on earth, despite being surrounded by the filth of the Lowercity. Some of his last memories of her were of her laying on a hospital bed, slowly fading away. She had gotten caught in the crossfire between a group of Shadow Runners and some gang members. The wound was not terribly deadly, but there were complications. Partially because it was a high-density plastic round. It had struck a bone and shattered, destroying much of the flesh around it. Apparently it was made by a third world factory, as imperfections in the plastic slowly poisoned her before they got the shards out. She wasted away the last months of her life in a hospital, just because his _father_ didn't feel it necessary to keep the princess he raped around.

After that, life got hard. His landlord didn't care so much about him living where he did at the time, as long as the bills were paid. So, he started taking up simple courier missions to make ends meet. That was how he got started as a Shadow Runner. Early on in his career he'd met up with quite a few people who had taught him everything he knew. All of his hacking, his combat, his gunnery, everything was taught to him by various people he'd teamed up with in the past. Every single one of them had died during a job. Naruto took each lesson to heart, as well as learning from their mistakes, the ones that lead to their deaths. Because of that, he'd gained the reputation as one of the best, despite his age. He wasn't infallible by any definition, he was just better than most of the people available for hire. For him, you could get the skills of a Jounin Cyberninja at about half the cost.

Life for him had been anything but easy, but he'd survived. And would continue to survive. There was no way he'd go down like all his teachers before him. He would struggle to the end.

Dropping out of his musings, he noticed that Hinata wasn't asleep.

"Good morning, Hinata."

"G-good morning."

"Um… I'm gonna go take a shower, unless you wanna use it first."

"N-no, you go ahead."

"Alright. After I'm done, you can use it, and once you're done we'll go get those upgrades."

"O-okay."

Naruto carefully slid out of bed, grabbed a change of cloths from his dresser, and left the room. After a moment, Hinata heard the shower turn on. After a few moments, she got up and went to the kitchen. For a bachelor's place, it was surprisingly well stocked. She'd expected cabinets full of instant ramen or something like that, but instead she found a full array of spices, cooking utensils, a refrigerator full of both snacks and fresh fruits and vegetables and other naturally grown foodstuffs. She even found organic flour! She hummed happily to herself as she set about gathering the ingredients she found, whipping up a nice breakfast. By the time Naruto got out of the shower, she already had a stack of pancakes and some scrambled eggs with ham and vegetable bits chopped up in it. There was even a few strips of natural bacon, something that was really rare.

"H-hey, Hinata… did you make all of this?"

"Yes! I can't believe you had all this stuff here. I didn't think you'd have much…"

"Well, I do prefer cooking for myself rather than eating NutriPaste. Seriously, you'd think that they'd make it taste like something other than a very grainy tofu."

Hinata giggled a little bit.

"You go ahead and enjoy your breakfast. Um… do you think I can borrow another change of cloths until my bags get here?"

"Yeah, hold on…"

Naruto darted into his room, having to tear his gaze away from the steaming feast that lay before him on the table. He dashed back in just as quickly, practically thrusting a pile of cloths into her arms in his haste to get to the food. Although slightly ruffled, Hinata managed to giggle at his antics. She waited long enough to see him douse his pancakes in syrup and take a bite. His eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"Mmmm… Damn, Hinata, if we weren't already married I'd ask you right now!"

Hinata blushed and mumbled her thanks. Quickly she left to take her own shower, far too flustered to do anything but mumble a slightly incoherent thanks.

By the time she was out of the shower, Naruto had already finished his food. She was quite surprised to see that, when she entered the kitchen, another plate of food was already set out for her. Naruto was standing in front of the sink loading the dishes into the dishwasher. He must have heard her come in, because he turned around and gave a grin that showed off nearly all of his teeth.

"Hey! I though that since you had food ready for me when I was done with the shower, I though you'd like to have a plate when you got out. I didn't know how much you wanted, so if it's too much, I'll finish it of, ok?"

"N-naruto, you didn't have to do that…."

"You didn't have to cook for me either, but you did."

"I wanted to d-do something nice…"

"As did I."

Hinata felt the urge to poke her fingers together like she used to do when she was a little girl. Her family had forcibly trained her out of that habit. It wasn't becoming for a Hyuuga.

"T-thank you."

Naruto's grin widened even more, and he put a hand behind his head. Hinata couldn't help but smile and giggle. She had to admit that he looked damn cute when he did that.

"You know, Hinata, you should smile more. It makes you look even cuter than you usually are."

Hinata blushed even deeper and began stuttering, truly incoherent. Naruto started chuckling, but it soon turned into full flown laughter, the kind that only comes from deep in your gut. Hinata couldn't help but join in, adding her own musical laugh to his.

Once they calmed down, Hinata sat down to eat while Naruto finished up the dishes. They chatted about a few little things, like favorite color, favorite type of music, which performer was the best, the best holo they'd ever seen, and various other little mundane subjects. Hinata answered when she could, half because her mouth was full from eating, and the rest of the time because Naruto would talk almost non-stop.

Generally, Hinata was shy and somewhat withdrawn. The other girls she had met at the few times she attended courtly functions had taken this to mean she was just as cold hearted and stuck up as the rest of the Hyuuga clan. Nothing could be farther from the fact. But, when she was talking with Naruto, he has such a warm and welcoming nature, when he wasn't angry, that she could speak to him much easier than she had ever talked to anyone before. Call it corny, but he wiped away her fears and insecurities, made her better than she could be alone. Life with this man, she concluded, would be a life worth living. With that sobering though, she surrendered herself to her feelings and just talked away, a sparkle of joy in her one remaining eye.

As soon as Hinata finished her mean, she barely had time to set down her chopsticks before Naruto swooped in and took the plate, adding it into the dishwasher. He poured in the soap, closed the door, set the dial, and let it go.

"So, Hinata, you ready to go get some upgrades?"

She nodded, an exited smile adorning her face. Naruto grinned back at her.

"Ok, then, I'll go get my gun and we'll be off. 's not safe to walk around without one, you know."

It barely took him a minute to get his gun. He practically dragged her out of the house, he was walking so fast. They walked a few blocks before coming to yet another run down building. There were no signs or anything to indicate it was a store, but Naruto just walked right in.

"Hey, old man! You here!"

A wizened man stood behind a grungy counter. He had a bushy moustache and beard, a pair of outdated glasses, and a bald head.

"Naruto! How're those spikes I gave you working?"

"Like a charm! I almost got into Water Country's mainframe yesterday, but I got interrupted."

"Ah, then they do live up to my promises."

"Your stuff always does, old man."

"So, who's this pretty girl, Naruto? You finally get a girlfriend?"

"No, this is my wife, Hinata."

The old guy chuckled at what he thought was a joke. When neither of them laughed along with them, he frowned.

"You weren't kidding, were you?"

"Nope."

"You gonna introduce me?"

"Oh! I knew I forgot something! Hinata, meet Conch. He's the only person to go to when getting upgrades. He's seriously the best, and you'll never find lower prices. Conch, meet Hinata, my wife."

"So… how'd you get married at your age?"

"I told you that my dad was still alive, right?"

"Yes… I suppose you did."

"Well, he came back yesterday, interrupted me right before I got through the last firewall, and I had to high tail it and cover my tracks. Anyway, he said some crap about this and that and introduced me to Hinata, here. Barely said two words with her before he married us."

"Hmm. I was under the impression that only nobles had that kind of authority, and even then, only a few could do so without the Fire Daimyo's approval…"

"Um… could I ask you to keep a secret?"

"Sure, Naruto. Anything for my best customer."

"I told you all about my father, but I never told you _who_ he really is."

"Go on."

"His name is Namikaze Minato… Fire Daimyo."

Again the guy guffawed at the joke… but when they, again, were not laughing. He sobered instantly, intently staring at Naruto.

"You mean to tell me that your father is the Fire Daimyo and you live here on the streets?"

"Yes. I'm his only child, but I was born out of wedlock. Hinata was a Hyuuga until yesterday."

At that, the man glanced at Hinata, and sure enough, her one remaining eye was a lavender color without a pupil.

"… damn, kid. Whenever I think I've got you figured out, you pull something like this."

"Heh, that's why I'm Fire Country's number one most unpredictable hacker!"

The man's laugh was contagious, and soon Naruto and Hinata were laughing too. It wore down after a while, so once he could talk again, he said "So, what can I do for you today?"

"See, Hinata's got the Hiroko 3650 Cyber arm, and the HyuugaCorp x9500 cyber eye, with special alterations to allow a similar effect to Hinata's natural Byakugan. Specially designed just for her in about 10 minutes, only one ever made. The problem is that her MatCon doesn't have the proper capabilities to control them adequately. So, we need upgrades!"

"Hah! Most people don't even know about bandwidth, control programs, and interface augmentation applications. It's no wonder no one thought to upgrade her 'plant before. So, any particular model you suggest?"

"Well, I suppose they'd interact best with the HyuugaCorp Hi, the 5600b module with advanced interface capabilities. Hmm… maybe you should put in the Navitech Navi, it's one of the better OS available. Oh, and can you put a wrist blade in her arm, like you did to mine?"

"Hah, gonna turn her into a hacker?"

"You bet! She's gonna need the skills if she's gonna live with me. I won't be able to protect her all the time."

"Too true, Naruto. Got any other suggestions?"

"Yeah, you remember all those programs I wrote for you? I use the same ones when I hack, and I haven't found any other program that outperforms mine. I need all of those on her 'plant. Er… minus _that_ one. I still can't believe you made me write that one."

"Hey! That's my best selling program! Come on, who wouldn't want to own a program called Icha Icha 3D?"

Naruto just glared. The guy just chuckled.

"Anyway, is that all?" Naruto nodded. "Ok, that'll be 1500 nuyen. You got that much?"

"More than enough, old man." Naruto pulled out a simple chip and waved it in front of a scanner. It beeped.

"Thank you very much! Please come again!"

"Aw, cut the crap, old man."

"Right… anyway, if you would come with me, Hyuuga-san, we'll get you upgraded."

Hinata, who's head had been spinning from all the technical jargon being tossed back and forth, snapped out of her little trance. She looked at Naruto, who smiled and gestured for her to follow him. Steeling herself, she went into a very nice (and clean) looking operating room.

"Just lay down here, and I'll do the rest."

As soon as she was prone on the surprisingly comfortable dentist chair thing, she blacked out.

Muffled voices was the first thing she could hear when she woke. It wasn't like at the hospital, where she was groggy and incoherent for a few moments, as anesthetics tend to do that to you. This time, she was instantly awake. Blinking away the bright lights, she sat up to look at the noise. Naruto and Conch were.

"Hinata! You're awake!"

Hinata gave him a smile before sliding off the still comfortable chair.

"So, how's that arm working? I had to recalibrate it while you were out, but it should be as easy to use as your real arm, just a lot stronger and you can push it faster." Conch said.

She moved her arm around and, sure enough, all traces of the jerky, imprecise movements it had before were gone. It was just like having her old arm back, just without as much feeling.

"Hey, Hinata, you remember how to give commands to your 'plant, right?"

She nodded.

"Then give it the command 'knife'"

She scrunched up her face in concentration. A blade about 10 inches long popped out of her wrist, just under the heel of her palm. She stared at it, waving her arm around a little bit.

"Don't worry about it, kid. You'll get used to it." Conch chuckled as he spoke.

"Yeah! I'll teach you how to use it too, Hinata."

Hinata smiled. Conch chuckled a little.

"Your wife doesn't say much, does she?"

"I don't need to say much when there isn't much to say."

"… how very wise."

Hinata grinned.

"Anyway, we gotta get going, Conch. Thanks for the help!"

"Heh, it's no problem, Naruto. Come back when you need an upgrade."

"Will do. See ya!"

Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand and walked out of the store.

"Hinata, you ready to learn how to hack?"

"Yes… Naruto-sensei."

Naruto sweat-dropped. "Please, just call me Naruto. I'm not really teaching you so much as showing you how to use my programs."

Naruto was standing in front of his couch, where Hinata was sitting.

"First things first: recognizing firewalls." Naruto pulled out an orb about the size of a baseball.

"This… well, it's really only an implant that's not implanted. It's really simple, and it's only got a very weak firewall. I'll teach you how to tear through that like tissue paper."

"O-Okay!"

"Ok, now, your 'plant automatically recognizes it, so just concentrate on it and activate FireScan."

Hinata's eyes slipped out of focus as she worked.

"Ok, now, you see the only fire wall on it? You see all those numbers in the different columns after it? Each number is something of a 'stat' that the firewall has. The higher the stat, the stronger it is in each area. In your list of programs I've given you a list of spikes of various degrees of power, organized by each stat it attacks best. Choose one that had an attack only one or two higher than the stat of the firewall you're trying to break. Otherwise you'll just end up alerting them. You gotta go in like a Cyberninja, quiet and smoothly, not like a SAMF (Special Attack Military Forces) with guns blazing. Now, once you've chosen the spike, activate it using FireScan. FireScan will automatically send the spike to attack the firewall. Got it?"

After a few seconds, Hinata nodded. Shortly after, he felt the weak firewall go down.

"Good job, Hinata!"

She looked up at him and smiled. It was rare that anyone had complemented her before this, and it really felt good.

"T-thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, we've got a long way to go. Simple firewalls and most lower level ones can be taken out with pre-made spikes, but more advanced ones have to be taken out using custom made spikes meant to attack their weak areas, which is something completely outside the whole 'stat' thing. I made FireScan to help small time hackers play pranks on their friends. Cyberninja, most Shadow Runners, and any kind of person that knows anything about cybernetics has some sort of advanced firewall. That's why I need to teach you how to use FireVision, but we won't go to that until you can use FireScan and the pre-made spikes well, and you know how to make your own."

"O-oh. I didn't realize how complex this is…"

"Girl, this is only the tip of the iceberg."

"O-oh…"

"If we really rush, I could get you trained up to an advanced level in about… oh, three months. That's including how to use your knife arm."

"Ano… didn't you say you were going to teach me how to use a gun, too?"

Naruto's face went blank. "Crap, I knew I forgot something."

Hinata giggled.

"Come on, we'll go to another friend of mine. He's go-"

Naruto was interrupted by a knock at the door. He froze for a moment before taking his pistol out of his holster and carefully approaching the door. Carefully, he looked through the peep hole. He visibly relaxed.

"Bout time you showed up." He said when the door was opened.

"Yeah, well… Had a little drama yesterday. A couple of nobles got into a fight and one died. The other is calling for a blood feud, even though I outlawed them. It's getting to the point that I may just stick them all into an arena and have them duke it out."

Naruto frowned, but didn't say anything.

"You brought Hinata's stuff?"

"Yeah, it's in the craft."

Naruto walked past him to retrieve the bags. He lugged them inside with little visible difficulty. Those cybernetic arms of his were really strong. He set them down next to his dresser, where Hinata practically pounced on them, quickly pulling out a change of cloths. She darted into the bathroom, incomprehensibly spouting off something that they thought were thanks, but they couldn't be sure.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the house. Minato looked at Naruto, frowning slightly as if he was deep in thought. Naruto eyed Minato cautiously, preparing to defend himself at even the slightest show of hostility.

Minato broke the silence first. "Naruto... the nobles are acting up more than usual lately. I need something to keep them distracted. I need an heir to hold the throne when I'm gone or there will be chaos."

Naruto scoffed. "How do you think having an heir will calm them down? Right now, they're only muscling against each other. What do you think they'll do if they know someone is going to take over after you die? The minute you declare me your heir, they'll go after me. Assassination attempts will be the norm, they'll practically declare open war on each other, trying to establish dominance. The casualties will be huge, like you said yourself, and that's not even including all the civilians who get in the way."

Minato frowned. "Then... how can we do this?" His voice carried a sense of insecurity.

"Declare a tournament. Call a court session, tell them you're dying. Tell them that each clan must send one person to represent them, either from their own clan or someone they hired to represent their clan. The clan that wins the tournament will send someone to be the heir."

Minato's eyebrows furrowed. "But... are you sure you could win?"

"Even if I don't, this will keep them occupied and satisfy them when one is chosen." Naruto said with an air of finality.

Minato growled with frustration. "I don't want some clan to rule when I die, I want my own flesh and blood! No one else could rule this nation, only someone of my blood would be able to control this much power!"

Naruto growled as well, glaring at the older man. "You should have thought about that _before_ you abandoned me, before you raped and abandoned mom, before you even thought about sleeping with some disease infested whore! If this is so important to you, why didn't you make sure your legacy would carry on before you ruined your own life?"

Minato sat down, hard, on the sofa behind him. He seemed to deflate, his head hanging and his rapidly aging body to seem even older than it was. Here he was, only 37 years old and he looked closer to 50. This disease was eating him up from the inside out. There was nothing the doctors could do to stop it, merely slow it's effects and make him comfortable. They said he had less than 5 years left.

In somewhat of a monotone, Minato said "Naruto... you know why. _That program_ cannot be controlled. It reduces it's host down to an animal, a slave to their basic instincts. I made the mistake of trying, and I'm paying for it... god, am I paying for it."

Naruto's eyes softened somewhat, but still retained an extreme dislike of the tired old flesh bag in front of him. "You could have done something to control it, you know. Every single program in existence can be controlled and contained. That's the very first thing I learned as a hacker."

"Not that. Nothing can stop it's power." The darkness in Minato's voice stated his feelings: total failure.

"You're not thinking right. You control it the same way it controlled you," Naruto spoke fiercely, trying to convey simplicity of it. Minato merely shook his head, indicating he didn't want to talk about it.

Even though Naruto didn't want the conversation to end, he stopped when he heard the bathroom door open. Hinata shyly slunk out. She wore an outfit that was at the top of current modern fashion: a school girl outfit. It was a revival of a retro fashion from about the mid 20's BFI, and after falling out of favor, came back with gusto. It was something that spawned out of a chance discovery. Someone had tapped into an ancient (by current standards) server that had been locked down tight but still running down in someone's basement. They found a plethora of old fashioned cartoons and started spreading them around the Matrix and Internet for free. Some people had even gone so far as to convert them into a full 3D holovid. It had created an underground fan base that was reviving many historical pop culture phenomena. The school girl outfit was one of the first to hit mainstream popularity.

"H-Hinata... you look great!" Naruto exclaimed. He gave a broad grin, the first one on his face since his father had paid a visit. Minato smiled softly at the girl. She was a beauty, even at her young age. She would only become more beautiful the older she got. Minato knew that Naruto had found someone special... just like Kushina...

"T-thank you," Hinata stuttered out. Though she was embarrassed to be to thoroughly examined by the two, it felt nice that her husband was at least taking notice of her.

She shuffled her way into the room, not noticing that the way she kept her head down, hunched her shoulders, and half drug her feet made her look even cuter than she was before, in an introverted, shy, insecure way.

"Ano... I couldn't help but overhear what you were talking about. I-I know a lot about court politics, and... this tournament will keep them occupied. But... there are over 500 noble families, and if each one sent one warrior... well, the tournament would take all year to resolve. It would be better if you lowered the amount of participants."

Minato frowned, deep in thought. "I don't suppose you have an idea how to do that without showing too much favor to certain clans, do you?"

"A good leader should know how to manage large amounts of people. The best potential leaders are those who have experience in guiding large corporations. Because of that, they'll also be the richest. So, have a tournament of 50 warriors where the clans have to bid for their places in the tournament. If Naruto does not win, than at least the country will be under the care of a good manager. If Naruto does win, then all of those clans will have spent most of their resources trying to get into the position. The proceeds can go to health care, advertisement, airing, and paying for collateral damage." Naruto and Minato's jaws were practically on the floor. It was a damn near perfect plan.

"H-Hinata... your father was a fool to let you go." Minato smiled as he complemented her, causing her to blush just a little bit more.

"T-thank you, Daimyo-sama." Hinata bowed to the man.

"Now, none of that, young lady. You're family now. Call me Minato, ok?"

Naruto frowned slightly, but did nothing. Hinata mumbled an apology and a promise to do as he said.

After a few moments of silence, Minato stood. "Well, I'm glad we managed to get this whole fiasco figured out. I'll announce the tournament this Friday, but we won't actually have the first match for... oh, say, three months. That'll give you some time to prepare. By the way, I'm gonna do your bidding for you. You'll be listed as Anonymous." The married couple nodded in unison, quite by accident. It was quite amusing, so Minato smirked. "Anyway, I'll get back to the CBT and run this country." Minato waved as he walked out of the front door. Naruto folded his arms over his chest and Hinata bowed after him. Once the door had closed, Naruto turned to Hinata and asked "So... do you wanna continue training, or you wanna go play some hologames?"

* * *

Well, it wasn't as long as I wanted it to be, but I hope you enjoyed it! Till next time! 


	3. The First real plot development!

Hey, everyone! Sorry it took so long to update. Hope I didn't dissapoint anyone. My computer caught cancer and I lost all my documents. Then, I found out that I didn't have any windows disks. So I had to go shopping. But, instead of spending 100 or more to buy a copy of windows xp, I went to my university's store and bought a copy of Vista for only 65. Dollars, that is. So, I had to spend some time learning how to use Vista. It's not too bad, once you figure out where everything is, but it's still kinda different. They copied a lot of stuff from Mac OSX, though. That's probably why Vista isn't as compatable with older windows programs as windows XP was for all the stiff that came before Vista. Meh, here i go rambling. The good news is that I can play Call of Duty 4 on my PC with all the bells and whistles on and not have a simgle laggy frame. It's so sweet.

Anyway, read and enjoy.

* * *

It was the news of the decade. Every single holo channel, nearly all the streaming feeds from the Matrix or the Internet were tuned to it. Hell, even the collected assembly of nobles was on the edge of their seats. No one knew what the news was, yet, but it was going to be big.

The Fire Daimyo had called this meeting, opening it up to the press and practically making sure that the entire country was listening. The whole audience, both those there physically or electronically, waited with bated breath.

The small curtain behind the old fashioned podium, lined with microphones and close up cameras to capture the speakers every facial expression, was gently pushed aside. Dressed in the traditional garments of his position, the Fire Daimyo slowly approached the stand. He paused for a moment to clear his throat and collect his thoughts.

"I've called this meeting here today to discuss the future of this nation. It is a little known fact that I… I am dying. I suffer from a wasting disease, and though Fire Country's top physicians are working around the clock to counter it, there is no cure." He would have liked to think that the crowd would gasp, the women would have been brought to tears, or the air of solemnity would descend on them, but wishful thinking never got anyone anywhere. There were whispers, no doubt, most likely plotting the most favorable way to gain the position to seize the throne. He continued, "The most they can do is slow its progress. They estimate that, at the current rate, I have little more than six or seven years left. To further compound the problem, this disease makes it impossible for me to bear children. When I die, there will be no heir."

He paused for a few moments to let the words sink in and let the mutterings die down. "Fortunately, one of my most trusted advisors has a plan. For this nation to remain strong, it will need a strong leader; someone capable of managing our vast resources, commanding our armies, and fairly ruling our people. He, or she," at this point, the buzz of low voices returned, louder than before, " must be a strong fighter, must have experience with leading many people, and must be able to ensure the best possible efficiency with our production to further advance our economy. Because of this, I have decided to hold a tournament."

The collected assembly waited, quite impatiently, for the Daimyo to continue. "There will only be 50 places in this tournament, and each and every position is up for bid." He didn't pause in his speech, even though the crowd practically burst into shouting. "This is to ensure that whoever wins the tournament will fit into all the outlined criteria. As each and every fighter will be backed by someone with a fair bit of wealth, whoever that fighter is representing will have the skills necessary to lead this nation. There are some rules. The first is that, if the winning bidder cannot personally fight, they may elect a member of their extended family to represent them. If the winner of a bid is unable to present a fighter for the tournament, they may hire a mercenary or a ninja, given that the person they hire to represent them is from Fire Country. "

"For the tournament itself, the rules are extremely simple. When a fighter is unable to continue, either through exhaustion, unconsciousness, or death, the match will be over. The fighters may not battle anywhere other than the designated arena, as failure to follow this rule will result in expulsion from the tournament. Before the fight begins, a fighter may withdraw from the match for any reason. If he or she does so, their opponent will win by default."

"For each match, there will only be two fighters in the arena at any given time. Anyone interfering with the match for any reason will be executed on the spot. The tournament will have a live audience, so the only limitations on weaponry are explosives. Flash grenades and jutsu will be allowed, assuming that they do not harm any member of the audience. The death of a non-combatant because of careless actions by the participants will warrant instant expulsion from the tournament. For the rest of the rules and regulations, follow this link." As he spoke, a holo projection of a website address flashed on the front of the podium, well within the vision of any viewer.

"The bidding will start tomorrow, at 12:00 Central Fire Time. That will be all. Thank you."

Despite the uproar the crowd broke into, the calling of the press wanting an interview, and the strained connections to the nearest wireless server for those that wanted to follow the link, the Fire Daimyo calmly walked off the stage and behind the curtain.

* * *

The vaguely humanoid silhouette carefully slipped out of the small crowd of people walking down the sidewalks of the dark streets of the Lower City. No one spared him a glance. Calmly, he pulled out a small, darkly colored box. Flipping open the lid and pulling out a cigarette, he twirled the lighter in his hand, flicking it with a tricky sleight of hand. The shadows around his face were momentarily pushed back by the light of the flame. Again, he flicked and twirled the lighter in his hand, closing the lid and extinguishing the fire. Though the shadows again enshrouded his face, they were somewhat hampered by the glow of the smoldering tobacco as the man drew a breath. His dark eyes glinted from the reflected light.

Calmly exhaling, he inconspicuously checked his surroundings, finding that no one on the street was paying him the slightest bit of attention, he slipped into the narrow alleyway, leaving a trail of smoke that curled in his wake.

The plodding of his boots reverberated off the harsh mortar and concrete that made up the buildings on either side. On the streets, it was mostly silent, but here, the lack of noise was suffocating, inexorably encroaching one's being, squeezing all semblance of normalcy or calm from the mind. To a stranger, one not used to the shadows and oppressive silence, it was a nightmare, a torture that's effects could only be replicated by certain genjutsu or hacked programs that messed with a BTL chip.(1)

As it was, the man was used to this setting. He was in his element. But, even those who had grown up in the Lower City, playing in the darkness of the city streets, no one ever walked these alleys without paranoia. The ever so slight tensing of his muscles, coiled and ready to spring into action, the shifting of his eyes, frantically trying to make out any sort of threat in the darkness, the way he fingered the pistol on his hip, ready to draw at a moment's notice was a reaction that no one got over. Not with the danger these places presented. The slight safety of the narrow passage was left behind for the meeting place: a small courtyard, nearly completely enclosed by stone and mortar on all sides.

The rustle of cloth set him off edge even more. The light patter of feather soft footsteps circled him, its source impossible to locate because of the unnatural acoustics of the small courtyard. He heard the distinct click of someone shifting the grip on a firearm. Frantically, he turned towards the sound, reaching to draw his own pistol. His hand met the pseudo leather of his holster.

Before he even had a chance to panic, someone grabbed his hand, deftly twisted it behind his back, kicked his feet out from underneath him, and pinned him on the ground. He saw stars when his face hit the cement, a wet thunk not from blood or grey matter splattering on the ground, but from the puddle his face landed in. The ooze could no longer be called rainwater (or what passes for it in this megalopolis), but rather something closer to a mix between semi-processed sewage and toxic waste. The stench was maddeningly nauseating, but he was far more concerned with the sharp bite of metal at his neck.

"Seta-san… How nice of you to join me." The voice was distorted, again from the natural acoustics.

"Didn't put up much of a fight, did he?" The voice of the female that had him pinned down was amused almost to the point of giggling.

"No, I suppose not. You were well-trained, though." The male voice became slightly clearer in tandem with the approaching footsteps. They came to rest right in front of his face, though it did little good in the inky blackness of the meeting point.

"He's clear." The female voice rang with mirth, as if something was almost funny enough to crack up laughing at.

"Seta-san, someone of your particular employment should know the folly of carrying your only weapon on your hip. How easily would it be for someone to just… snatch it." The click of a pistol was close to his head now, terrifyingly close.

_Click. _The sound reverberated. Light flooded the area, temporarily blinding the man. It took a few moments for his vision to adjust. Once it did, he was able to get a good look at the people there. The blonde hair and whisker marks gave him away almost immediately. _Cyberfox_. The name itself made him tremble slightly with fear, and slightly with anticipation.

He'd placed a mission on one of the many boards available throughout the Matrix. It was a simple matter of posting it. It was much more difficult choosing who to give the job to. The mission details, like most other mission offers, were undisclosed at the time, but the pay was not. 100,000 nuyen was a lot for the Shadow Runners. Most were wary, and the few that did apply were not the type he'd needed for this mission. This last one, though… it had potential. The Cyberfox _himself_ asked for the job. The handle was whispered around the many circles of the underground. Everyone wanted his services, but few ever got them. He was premium quality, name brand in a sea of generics. It was much more than he expected. So he'd requested a meeting. Though, it seemed he should have been more careful.

"Hinata-chan, let him up. He's no threat." The pressure on his back left and his arm was released. He scrambled to his feet, warily staring at the two people. The blonde one, Cyberfox, couldn't have been older than 14 years old. Neither could the other. Her straight blue-black tresses fell almost to her shoulders, but didn't look as if they'd get in the way, given a physical fight. One of her eyes was cybernetic, but the other was unmistakable. A Hyuuga's eyes.

The two were similarly dressed, full bodied armor suits, though of a more streamlined and flexible variety than was worn by most Shadow Runners. It looked like something a Ninja or a Black Ops would wear, made for stealth and flexibility, yet still adding a fair amount of protection. Their shoes were modeled after boots, but the shape and thickness of the soles reflected the footwear of Ninja rather than the typical soldier. Both had two pistols, one on each hip, though the blonde boy had the butt of a rifle peeking over his shoulder. He also wore goggles over his eyes, where the girl didn't. Then again, with a cyber eye and the eyes of a Hyuuga, she didn't need them. She twirled a pistol that he absently recognized as the one he'd carried at his hip just a few moments ago.

"What kind of trouble would an archaeologist get into that mandated a mission of this caliber?" The calm, quiet voice belied the boy's experience, despite his age.

"I've learned, a while back, that Eyntael Corp recovered some artifacts that I'm interested in. I offered to buy them, but they refused. I need those artifacts. They're important items used in religious rituals undertaken by the Turtle civilization over 3500 years ago. I need them for my research."

The gold haired boy frowned for a moment. So much for a simple mission. There had to be a catch. He almost imperceptibly nodded to the girl to his right.

Seta had less than a second of warning as his firewalls blared warnings before his whole security system shut down. Frantically, he reached for the manual shutdown button and cut the power to his 'plant. It didn't stop her.

"Got it." The pride in her voice was evident.

"Good. Seta-san, we got our mission parameters. Have the money ready for us, right here in 24 hours. We'll get your goods."

"Uh… yeah. Thank you." The man bowed politely.

"Whatever. We got a mission to do. Come one, Hinata-chan."

* * *

Hyuuga Hiashi was not a happy man. By all rights, he should be. He had a family, though his wife was long dead, he was the owner of one of the largest companies in Fire Country, his bank accounts held more money than most people could even dream of, and his younger daughter was learning the skills she needed to know to run the clan's interests far faster than he had ever thought. Though not much for the Hyuuga's traditional martial arts, she was exceptionally skilled with numbers and laws. She'd already suggested taking advantage of one of the few loopholes in the complicated tax laws, saving the family a few million nuyen. Yes, he should be happy. But he wasn't.

His little gamble for the throne was moot. The Uzumaki boy was undoubtedly the Daimyo's son. What puzzled him was why the Daimyo was holding this tournament to discern who would be the heir. He should have been like any other noble, leaving everything to his own flesh and blood. Instead, Hiashi's ticket to influence on the nation through his elder daughter was expired. The only good thing he could think of that came out of that fiasco was that he'd gotten rid of Hinata. She wasn't as skilled as Hanabi was in management, and would not be a good choice as a leader. But, in any case, he still had a chance.

His brother's son, Neji, was exceptionally skilled with the Hyuuga's traditional ninja arts. So skilled, in fact, that he was approached by a Konoha recruiter. The ninja of today did not live in a separate village. Instead, they were more like a club than anything else. They had a few training centers and a private email server (nearly impossible to hack in to, so it could easily be used to pass sensitive information) to issue missions and the like. They recruited people who were particularly skilled in martial arts and the like. Quite a few Shadow Runners found their way into the ranks, and anyone who joined a dojo was watched to see if they displayed any particular skill.

Neji was a skilled fighter, and had been approached. Of course, Hiashi had allowed him to join the ninja's ranks, and had tolerated his teammates when they used the clan's few training areas for team training. Before, he had thought it a minor advantage. After all, having a ninja as a part of the branch family was a tool that he could use for corporate espionage. But now, Neji's skill would be far more advantageous than Hiashi had previously considered.

The rules in the tournament had stated that the person who won a bid could send someone to fight in their stead. No doubt the Konoha Ninja would be receiving many mission offers soon, as would the better Shadow Runners. Why bother to pay a rather large sum to hire someone when he could just ask Neji to attend for him? Hell, he could even pay a fair amount, or offer to promote him and his family to the Main Family. That would certainly motivate him.

The point was that, if he managed to win a ticket, Neji would be able to win the tournament. Hell, even though he was only 15, he was already a Jounin, as were his teammates. Though it was not required, the trio stayed as a team after their Jounin Exams, and they did quite a few missions with their old sensei. The point was that he still had a chance to seize the throne. Directly, if luck was on his side.

Absently, he pulled up the site that held the biddings. He nearly fell out of the chair when he saw how high the prices were. Even though bidding had started at a million nuyen, the _lowest_ bid was already almost 100 million. The highest was nearly half a billion nuyen. Hiashi grimaced. The prices were not beyond his means, far from it. It was just that he didn't relish the thought of spending so much money.

As it was, all 50 entries were separate auctions, but prices still varied. Hiashi distantly noted that the highest bid on the most expensive one was made by the Uchiha clan. His thoughts drifted to the recent history of that particular clan.

They had done quite well in the last war, when the current Daimyo had taken power. Though they had lost a non-trivial amount of their clan to the many battles, they had remained strong. Through the years, they had developed quite a rivalry with the Hyuuga. Mostly, it was because HyuugaCorp and TomoeCorp, the corporation controlled by the Uchiha, were rivals in the same areas. They both had their hands in various markets, but more often than naught, the two were at odds with each other. Neither corporation had a monopoly in any field, but nearly all their interest conflicted with each other. Because of that, there was no lost love between the two.

Around 6 or 7 years ago, Uchiha Itachi had gone on a killing spree, starting with his family. While he managed to kill off almost two thirds of the clan, Fire Country's special forces managed to drive him away. Unfortunately, they failed to capture him. The clan was unstable for a few years, as Uchiha Fugoku, the previous clan head, had been slain. Leadership of the clan had passed to his younger son, Uchiha Sasuke. He was too young to run the clan's interests, so they were being run by his mother until he was old enough to run them himself. Unfortunately, he had decided to become a Ninja, so it would be awhile before he learned all he needed. Despite that, the clan's interests had prospered, and by proxy had been a thorn in Hiashi's side.

So, not to be shown up, Hiashi placed a bid on the next auction over, matching the Uchiha's bid nuyen for nuyen. He wouldn't let his rivals win this battle. Not while he still had money in his accounts.

* * *

The Fire Daimyo's announcement had surprised everyone, and that was an understatement. As per tradition amongst the nobles, they were all preoccupied, trying to win themselves a place in the tournament. Everyone was doing their best, making deals, planning ahead.

But, Orochimaru had a plan. He was a wanted man in Fire Country. After all, he was the most notorious flesh trader in the black market alive today. He had countless clone vats all across the Fire Capital in run-down warehouses and in the Undercity. He had made a fortune selling flesh, human flesh. While clone-grown replacement limbs were an accepted alternative choice to a cyber limb, they almost never worked as well as one's natural limb, or as well as a cyber limb could be. His business fronts did sell those, but he also had hands in the darker side of the trade.

He sold cloned body slaves, artificial muscle implants, bone grafts, and many other 'improvements' to the body. Shadow Runners and Ninja alike flocked to his secret clinics to replace a muscle, one that was twice as strong as their natural ones, to get nerve grafts to improve reaction time, and a myriad of other improvements. The body slaves he sold had a variety of uses as well. If you wanted someone just as a general servant around the house, you could get one. If you wanted a sex slave, one that was all too willing to serve you (with a behavioral chip pre-installed) it was possible to get that too. Hell, you could even specify how you wanted it to look. A guy could literally get his dream girl for a few thousand nuyen, depending on the quality. Some lasted longer than other, of course. A widow could get someone to help ease the passing of her husband, if she wanted. Or, if a clan wanted to get some fresh genes in its gene pool, it could get a series of clones to add in the specified traits they wanted. It had been done before.

As it was, Orochimaru was rich and relatively happy. He was the king (or should he say 'Don') of the largest flesh dealing black market in existence. While not entirely legal, for the most part it was glossed over. It was mostly because it prevented many kidnappings in the Lower City to fill the many beds in the many brothels, and because the nobles liked to have an extra mistress or two (or more, if they wanted a harem).

No, even if Orochimaru was rich, he was still ambitious. For a while, he was content with his lot in life. But now, he had a chance to gain real power. After all, who would dare try to imprison him if he was a trusted advisor to the Fire Daimyo? All he needed to do was offer a few _improvements_ to one particular person in the tournament, and before he knew it, he would be in a position of power. He had already set his eyes on one particular person: Uchiha Sasuke. The boy was perfect. It was no secret that the boy wanted revenge on his older brother. That was the main reason why he had become a ninja. Of course, he would be eternally grateful to Orochimaru for his assistance in gaining more power. Then, maybe, he could come out of hiding.

Yes, he was in hiding. One of the Three Dons, the three great influences in the world of organized crime, had to hide. His two counterparts, the medic Tsunade, who dealt with drug trafficking, and the author Jiraiya, who controlled both the prostitutes and porn industry, kept one hand clean for the public while the other dealt with the illegal activities they controlled. The three had an easy truce. It was almost an alliance, if thought about. Each Don remained within their own interests, while the others remained in theirs. They didn't encroach on the others, and in turn would be left alone.

But, unfortunately, Orochimaru had to hide, while the other two could go out in public safely. He had quite a few laboratories too closely connected to him that were doing some illegal genetic manipulation. They were quickly shut down, and Orochimaru became an outlaw. The good thing (for him, at least) was that all of the research had been saved.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had to focus if he wanted to properly approach the Uchiha lad. He would need to be at his most clever if he wanted to influence the boy. Once he was under his control, then he would rise to new heights, and no one could stop him. Then, he would finally do what he had intended to do since he was young: take over Fire Country, and later, the entire Elemental Continent.

* * *

"So…" Naruto's voice broke the silence in his apartment. "How do you want to do this?"

Hinata's brows furrowed for a moment. "Well… you did say that this was going to be my 'graduation exam'. I think… maybe it would be best if I went in first."

Naruto pulled up the blueprint of the warehouse they were just hired to infiltrate. "I suppose that depends on how much room there is. If the place is packed full, it might be possible, with your byakugan and all, to safely take out any resistance. The only thing I'm worried about is the merchandise. We can't let it get damaged."

"We don't use AP rounds, so I don't think that they'll get through the storage containers…"

"The guards there might be, though. We can't risk it."

With a frustrated look, Hinata turned away. "It'd be hard for them to hit something they can't see. All you have to do is cut the power, and my byakugan can see them in the dark. I could take them out silently."

Naruto took a minute to contemplate this. "It might work, especially if you used jyuken. But, I'd rather you use kenjuudo. I mean, we spent three months training in kenjuudo and hacking, so why not put it to good use?"

Hinata sighed. "I suppose. Think I can use the silencers this time?"

Naruto nodded. "Be careful, though. Even if you won't be using AP rounds, I don't want to damage any merchandise in there. Make sure your shots are as precise as usual, ok?"

"Hai."

* * *

The streetlights near the warehouse district were less numerous near the residential areas. As it was, the nearest streetlight from the targeted warehouse was almost a block away. For Naruto and Hinata, that made things even easier.

The automated taxi that they took dropped them off about a block away from the warehouse. Once the taxi was gone, Naruto and Hinata checked their equipment. It was the standard procedure, making sure the guns were loaded, securing extra clips and flash boxes, testing their subvocal microphones(2) and the like. It took a few minutes, but everything checked out.

The two nodded to each other and walked down the street, side by side. They slipped into a miniscule alleyway between two warehouses, one being the one they were supposed to infiltrate. There, thanks to their low light vision (Naruto because of his high tech goggles, and Hinata because of her cyber eye and byakugan), they found a small emergency exit. The inconspicuously placed door made a perfect infiltration spot.

"Gimme a minute to hack into their system." Naruto said as he sat down a small ways away from the door. Hinata nodded and waited.

The hacking was simple enough. The firewall protecting their security system was decent, but not all that great. A few simple pre-made spikes shattered the firewall and simultaneously shut down their alarms. With a few adjustments, the side door was unlocked, the few auto turrets inside the warehouse were shut down, as were the patrolling drones. The only thing left to do was to take out the human guards. A quick scan on the cameras inside showed that there were around twenty or so moderately armed guards. They looked more like mercenaries than corporate militia, and rather inept mercenaries at that. The few that were patrolling looked dead on their feet, and the rest were sitting around a table, smoking and playing a card game.

"You ready?" Hinata nodded, carefully pulling out the two pistols from their holsters on either side of her hips. The thumbed the safety, making sure that they were ready to fire.

With a command, the cameras were shut down, making sure that no one would see them if they entered. With another, the lights were shut off, plunging the entire warehouse into darkness. With a nod from Naruto, Hinata had wrenched open the door and slipped inside.

Her cyber eye, while in its normal mode, gave eyesight equivalent to the human eye. However, it had a mode of vision which gave it the same abilities as her natural byakugan, using an advanced method of planting miniscule cameras into her scalp. Since these cameras worked just like an activated byakugan, they were not hindered by the hair that grew around them. Their fields of vision overlapped a bit, but that was remedied by a program that took all the visual feeds and spliced it into a single input. The effect was equal to a normal byakugan, specifically because it could see in the wavelength of the energy that chakra gave off, allowing the mechanical eye to see chakra with such detail that it could discern the tenketsu. It was unique to HyuugaCorp, and was top secret. They weren't about to go selling this on the market. The only reason they even developed it was because a Hyuuga would occasionally loose an eye if a jyuken strike accidentally hit an active byakugan. It overloaded the chakra coils, making them explode and rendering the eye useless, if the person survived.

Activating both her natural and cybernetic eyes, she quickly scanned the warehouse. The table had been knocked over, but it seemed that these mercenaries were more than met the eye. The small 'courtyard' made by the placement of storage containers was about 20 feet across on both sides. The table had been directly in the middle, but was off to one side now. The guards around it had arranged themselves on all sides of the courtyard, guns at the ready and watching both of the gaps between the cargo containers that provided a path into and out from the space.

Hinata stealthily crept along one such path, keeping her eyes on the guards that were patrolling the walkways above the stacked cargo containers. It seemed that none of the guards had any sort of night vision, though with the technology available, it could still be possible.

Just when she stepped into the small courtyard, one of the guards whispered "Anyone got a light?"

Someone else said "Shut up!"

The first voice whined "But I can't see? How can I shoot an intruder if I can't see them?"

"Will you be quiet!" a third voice growled. "I think I heard footsteps."

"I didn't hear anything. Maybe it was just a power outage. There probably isn't anyone h-"

_Tick_

Hinata didn't wait for the man to finish his sentence. With a _bang_ and a flash of light, a shot from each pistol hit one of the men on either side of the courtyard. They both dropped like rocks, their brains decorating the concrete floor. With a variety of curses, the guards raised their guns to fire back.

_Tick_

Hinata let the recoil from her pistols guide her guns into the next position in the kata. Another pair of shots rang out and two more guards fell to the ground.

_Tick_

Again, the recoil from her pistols guided her hands into yet another position, and two more shots dropped two more guards.

She had taken a step in a different direction with each shot, confusing the guards. When they opened fire, none of them knew exactly where she was. But, with her byakugan, she knew exactly where her opponents were.

_Tick_

Her hands moved to a new position, taking another pair of shots.

_Tick_

She twisted her body around and popped off two more shots, taking out two more opponents.

_Tick_

She thumbed a button on the side of each pistol, and the spent clip dropped out of the guns. She pointed her arms straight out while pointing the barrels of each gun straight down.

_Tick_

Activating a strapped on mechanism on the outside of each wrist, it pushed a pre-loaded clip into the gun. Since there was still a bullet in the chamber (the guns she was using had a clip of 6, though it was possible to reload with a bullet still in the chamber) there was no need to cock the gun prior to firing. Two more shots were all she needed, though. Her last opponents were down, all of them shot in fatal areas. The entire encounter, from the first shot to the last, took 7 seconds. That was the strength of Kenjuudo.

Kenjuudo was a martial arts style that created different kata based on the probability of opponents being in different places during a gunfight. It was based off of mathematics, and given a human influence to adapt to the true locations of the opponents, it was possible to use the recoil of a pistol shot to continually move the aim of a handgun to a new target after each shot. Each stance and the kata's movements allowed for maximum shot possibility while presenting minimum targeting area to the majority of one's opponents. The sole problem was the degree of practice and dexterity required to adequately use the style. Mostly, that was because a kata could call for the pistol to be held above one's head or behind one's back.

For a style that was developed completely on probability, trigonometry, and kinesiology (the study of the motion of the human body), it was amazingly effective. It allowed a single person to take on a large amount of opponents single handedly. It was even improved upon, since Hinata had 360 degree vision and an insane amount of flexibility, it was possible for her to shoot an opponent in any direction without having to twist her torso at all, though the chances of her surviving greatly improved with a little motion.

Naruto had taught her the style, the single pistol, double pistol, and rifle katas. The rifle katas were not used in the same way. They were more along the lines of being able to wrench a rifle from an opponent's grasp, to pick it up from the floor, or creatively twirl it, and kill several people with it in a short amount of time, though the twirling only worked if it was a smart gun (smart guns have the ability to automatically fire when an opponent is in the gun's sights).

She left the dead bodies where they lay, continuing down the only other path besides the one she came from.

* * *

Hyuuga Neji stepped out of the replica hot springs in his family's compound. Of course, living over 100 stories above ground level made it impossible to have a real hot springs, the one his family had constructed was meticulously detailed. The large room had semi holographic walls and several hidden projectors that gave such ambiance to the place that it seemed as if one was sitting in a forest with a steep, rocky slope to one side and several pools scattered around the immediate vicinity. The sound system was so amazing that, if one closed one's eyes and relaxed, it was possible to imagine that you were at a completely natural hot springs, miles away from any sort of human contact. Just what was needed for an hour of relaxation.

He carefully dried himself off with a towel, ignoring the dozing form of his friend and teammate, Rock Lee. He dressed himself in his usual outfit, one that reflected on years of Hyuuga Martial Arts tradition. The pale, crème colored jacked, a black tee-shirt underneath, a fishnet shirt underneath that (though this one was made out of carbon nano-tube filament, giving it exceptional resistance to either slashing or stabbing, though a good AP round would pierce it) and black shorts that came down just past his knees. He wore a finely woven cloth spun from (yet again) carbon nano-tubes that wrapped around his hands and wrists like bandages. The same went for his calves and ankles. He had chosen to wear an updated version of ninja sandals. Rather, it was much like a boot with the toes open to the air. It served its purpose, though, providing excellent support for the ankles for running and jumping.

He tossed the wet towel, watching somewhat amusedly as it opened in mid flight and draped itself over the face of his teammate. Lee awoke with a snort and got a face full of wet towel. Apparently, his frantic struggling with the towel caused him to slip underneath the water with a splash. Neji chuckled at his friend's misfortune.

Sputtering, Lee surfaced. The scowl on his friend's face was priceless. "Neji, was that really necessary?"

"I believe you should be thanking me" Neji replied.

If anything, Lee's scowl deepened. "Thanking you for what?"

Neji gave one of his world famous smirks. "For waking you so you aren't late for your training with Gai-sensei. You do want to master as many martial arts as possible, do you?"

As if on cue, a digital reading appeared, showing the time. Lee looked at it for a second. In a flurry of motion, Lee sprang out of the hot spring, sprinted to the door to the changing room so fast that all the water was unable to stay on him, squeezed into his jumpsuit (made of the same material as Neji's wrappings, though woven with a little bit of elastic material to give it a little more give), slipped on his shoes, and disappeared down the hall. The last thing Neji heard of his eccentric teammate that day was "I must not be late! Being late is un-youthful, and I will not let my flames of youth die so easily!"

An amused Tenten watched him run down the hallway and turn the corner. Thankfully, Lee had already passed the door to the women's hot spring room when she entered the hallway. Otherwise, she might be sprawled across the hallway like a carelessly dropped throw rug. Tenten caught Neji's eye and held his gaze for a second. She snorted, which caused the two to erupt into laughter.

"I never get tired of seeing that. I swear, it gets funnier every time." The mirth was evident in Tenten's voice.

"I know what you mean. Sometimes, I wonder if Gai actually had himself cloned just so he could have a protégé. As if one wasn't bad enough." The two shuddered in unison. The both noticed and broke into another round of laughter.

The three, Neji, Tenten, and Lee, had been a team since they were 12. All three had shown a fair amount of talent with different martial arts and had been approached by recruiters for the Leaf Village. Once they were accepted , they had been formed into a team under the teaching of Maito Gai. Their sensei, like most ninja, had a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on how one looks at it) loathing for cyberware. Not that it was bad or anything, but it had no chakra circulatory system. If you had an arm replaced by a cybernetic arm, it was impossible to do jutsu. Simple as that. Also, he had an obsession with hard work, something that gets overlooked far too much in this day and age. After all, why should one spend hours a day for years going to a gym to build up muscle mass and strength when it was possible to surgically replace your entire muscular system with perfectly worked muscles without having to do much other than spend a few thousand nuyen?

Thankfully, that push for hard work had paid off for his three students. After all, how many 15 year olds could claim Jounin rank? They were equals in every way to Fire Country's Black Ops, and superior in most. They truly were the elite, the best of the best. And it showed.

Tenten stiffened quite suddenly. After a moment, she relaxed, smiling quite pleasantly. Neji cocked an eyebrow in a nonverbal query. "I got a mission offer, A-ranked at least. The pay is outrageous, though."

"Oh? What kind of job?"

"You heard about that tournament going on, right?"

Neji nodded. "It's only the talk of the town."

Tenten snorted. Understatement indeed. "Yeah, well, someone wants me to represent them. They offered 1.2 million nuyen, and for that much money, I'm not gonna pass up the chance."

Neji nodded. It was a lot, especially to shinobi. After all, mission payments weren't always the best way to make money, especially once you factor in all the expenses, like equipment, hospital stays, food, and information. Sometimes, it was easier to pay a spider(3) to give you the low down rather than find it yourself, but it was pretty expensive.

A throat was cleared behind Neji, surprising him. He whirled around, absently pulling a kunai from its sheath strapped to his leg. There stood Hyuuga Hiashi. Neji stiffened, but put away his kunai. Ninja training tended to make one jumpy and prone to defend oneself with lethal force.

"Neji, I was hoping to ask a favor of you." Hiashi spoke with his usual elegance, though it was somewhat strained.

"How may I be of service, Hiashi-sama."

Hiashi hesitated for a moment. "I have placed a bid in the tournament that was recently announced. I had hoped that you would be willing to participate in my stead."

Neji considered it for a moment. Though he received a healthy stipend per month from the Hyuuga, and lived in the compound, his monthly overhead was rather small and he had plenty of money. He enjoyed life as a Ninja, so it wasn't about the money. But this tournament could be deadly. There were no rules against killing, even if it was not the preferred method of victory. "I would be willing, Hiashi-sama, but wish to know what you have prepared to offer in compensation."

"I…" Hiashi hesitated in the middle of a sentence. That was something he never did. What he was going to offer was going to be big. "I am willing to offer you membership into the Main Family of the Hyuuga."

That really threw Neji for a twist. His eye narrowed. What was Hiashi playing at? Never in the history of the Hyuuga clan has a branch member been promoted to a Main family member. It just wasn't done. For a staunch traditionalist like Hiashi, this was beyond taboo, it was completely forbidden. But still, the prospect enticed him. As a member of the main family, he automatically received consideration for the title of Heir. After all, it was only the current head and his immediate family that were part of the Main Family. For Neji to receive membership, he would have to be adopted. If that happened, then all he had to do was make sure that he was a better candidate for clan head and all of this bullshit he had to live through could be done away with.

With extreme care, Neji said "I accept, on certain conditions."

Hiashi steeled himself for the worst. No doubt Neji would take advantage of the situation. "Name them."

"I want full membership with all the perks and advantages that I would have received if I had been born into the Main family. Also, I want the right to marry anyone I wish, regardless of your wishes. I want a signed document stating I will receive these if I participate in the tournament in your stead. Finally, if I win and you become the Fire Daimyo, I want your word that you will make me Clan Head."

Neji's stone-cold stare bore into Hiashi's eyes. The only reason he didn't flinch was because of the rigorous training he had undergone. His nervousness still showed, however, even if only to a careful observer. "I… I… I accept." Hiashi _almost_ deflated, but his pride as the Hyuuga Head demanded he retain his perfect posture.

Neji almost smirked. He didn't, of course, but it was a close thing. His face may have twitched, though. "If that is all, Hiashi-sama, then I will take my leave. Please leave a copy of your written promise in my rooms. Thank you."

With that, Neji walked off, followed closely by Tenten.

* * *

Naruto watched as Hinata walked away from the little clearing where she completely destroyed most of the guards on duty. He had hoped she would have been able to take them all out without alerting the other guards, but that didn't happen. The guys she was shooting at had managed to pop off a few shots each, and while none hit her, they certainly alerted the guards patrolling the catwalks above her. Cursing slightly, even though he was proud of Hinata, he opened the door Hinata had gone into.

His goggles instantly adjusted to the darkness, showing the nearly pitch black area as if it was well light. To provide just a little extra illumination, he pulled out a small plastic rod. He bent it slightly, cracking the fragile plastic bubble inside it, releasing a chemical to mix with the other chemicals. He shook it violently, mixing them up. The illumination was bright, destroying all shadows within a 30 foot radius.

It was lucky, for Naruto at least, that the glow stick gave off light at a spectrum not visible by the naked eye or by cheap night vision goggles. Since the ones he currently wore were top of the line (and had cost a pretty penny) the UV rays the glow stick gave off was visible only to him, and maybe Hinata, if she looked in his direction. It would make it easier for her to avoid shooting him if they got into a firefight.

Absently, he clipped the glow stick onto his belt. It still cast plenty of light, and putting it there freed up his hands. He spotted a service ladder slightly to the side of the small path between the side of the warehouse and the cargo containers. It lead directly to the catwalks above him. As silently as he could, he climbed up.

Once on the metal catwalk, he pulled out the rifle strung across his back. The XM250 was what was called a universal weapon. The basic core of the gun looked similar to many other assault rifles, but it was very different. The XM250 was used by the SAMF (Special Attack Military Forces) because, with the proper attachments, it could be used in a wide variety of situations.

Remove the stock and add a grip near the barrel and it became an urban warfare weapon, ideal for clearing buildings and tight spaces. The maneuverability of the typical SMG with the power of an Assault rifle. With the stock and the Smart Scope, it could be used as a typical Assault rifle, either with a 3 shot burst or on full automatic. Add the mini missile launcher (single shot, replaced the grenade launcher of the past) and it was an anti vehicle weapon, both anti air and anti ground. With the push of a button and a barrel extender, it became a sniper rifle. The button changed the Smart Scope from a simple 0x to 4x zoom scope to a 10x to 50x digital zoom scope that automatically adjusted for wind speed and bullet declination due to gravity. The final form was not really a form. All you had to do was put in a specially designed buckshot round into the clip and it became a shotgun, though the shot didn't disperse as quickly as a traditional shotgun round did. The other advantage of this gun was that the clip loaded on the top (like a P90, go look it up if you're curious) and the shells were ejected straight down. It meant that the gun could be used just as easily by a left hander as a right hander. No brass catches necessary.

The tactical advantages to this gun were obvious, of course, but there were quite a few that were less obvious. Since the chamber and the barrel never changed sizes, the same caliber of round was used for every single mode the gun could be put into. It used the same caliber bullet as most other guns around, meaning that ammunition for it (save for the mini missiles and shotgun rounds) was widely available for next to nothing. And since it could be used in so many situations, it meant that no one would be useless, no matter the situation, as long as they had this weapon. For the SAMF, who spent days or weeks behind enemy lines, this weapon was a must. It was easily supplied, easily maintained, and could be used in any situation that they would run into. It was, quite literally, the perfect gun, except for one thing. It was damn expensive. Almost 30,000 a piece, and then another 15,000 for the basic attachments (like the stock, the scope, the barrel extender, the mini missile launcher, and the grip). So, it was only the best of the military forces that got them. It was available in extremely limited quantities on the black market, but there it was even more expensive. That was where Naruto got his, and with a little electronic pick pocketing, didn't cost him a single nuyen. He even got the optional attachments, like the IR dot sight (like a laser pointer, but not visible to the naked eye), the specialized silencer, several extended clips (50 rounds per clip instead of the standard 25) and the chameleon nano paint. It basically interfaced with the standard chameleon suit, taking live feed of the area around the person with microscopic cameras and projecting the image towards that side, rendering the person nearly invisible. The image distorted slightly as one moved, but it was still rather difficult to see.

The total cost of the gun Naruto bought from the black market was over 100,000 nuyen. It was fortunate for Naruto that the gang boss who he had stolen the nuyen from never found out who stole the money.

Right now, Naruto had the gun in its Assault Rifle mode. He switched the scope to night vision and interfaced it with his goggles. The image the scope picked up was transferred to the goggles. Basically, Naruto was seeing whatever his scope saw.

Slowly, he scanned the catwalks. He counted about 5 or 6 guards on the catwalks and another 3 in the main control room. Gently, he thumbed the safety, preparing his gun to fire. As an afterthought, he changed the fire mode to a 3 round burst. Then he waited.

After a few minutes (the guards on the catwalks were not moving very much, even as they peered into the darkness, trying to find out what had happened to their fellow guards.

Naruto's earpiece crackled slightly. "Naruto, I'm about to breach the control room. Can you take care of the guards on the catwalk?" Hinata asked, sounding slightly apprehensive.

"Roger that, Hinata. Wait until you hear them return fire, ok?"

"Ok."

Taking aim at the closest guard to him, Naruto popped off three shots. They destroyed the man's face. He dropped like a rock onto the catwalk, his blood dripping through the grated surface to fall on the cargo containers below. Another burst killed another guard who had been leaning over the edge. His lifeless body fell over the guard rails.

A few wild shots were taken by a particularly scared guard, but they weren't anywhere near Naruto. A quick burst dropped that guard too. When the other guards started firing pretty close to where Naruto was, he decided to move to a different position. He half ran as fast as quietly as he could and found another vantage point.

"Go now, Hinata. I'll take out the rest."

The door to the control room burst open and the three men inside were quickly killed. The guards on the catwalks turned in confusion. Another burst dropped one, but a hastily fired round clipped Naruto's shoulder. He fell to a prone position, took aim, and killed the guard who shot him.

Inside the control room, Hinata saw the last guard, who was standing on the catwalks not far from the window of the control room. She emptied the rest of her clips into him, making him fall over the side as one of his comrades had before.

"Naruto, are you ok? I heard you groan."

"Yeah, I'm ok. It's only a flesh wound."

"Put some biofoam on it right away, you hear me? We can't have that getting infected."

"Yes, dear." Naruto chuckled slightly as he said this. It was kinda humorous, if you thought about it.

From there on, it was a simple matter of locating the right cargo container on the warehouse manifest, using the crane that moved all the containers around to load it onto a flat bed truck, stealing the keys to said truck, and driving it off to the pre-appointed delivery point: FCU (Fire Country University).

* * *

"As of noon today, the bidding has closed. If you have won a place in the tournament, you have one week to register. An email will be sent to you telling you where to go. If you fail to show up, your ticket will be passed along to the next highest bidder. There will be a fine of one million nuyen for late registration. The first match will be held two weeks from today at the Fire Capital GravBall Arena. Tickets for live attendance will be made available. For those who do not manage to attend the live event, it will be broadcast on the holo net. Live streaming video feeds will also be made available on the Matrix. As it will be impossible to hold all the matches on the same day, there will be two matches per day until the first round is finished. There will be a week of recovery time between each round, which will again gave two matches per day until the round is over. There will be one month of recovery time before the final match, so that the participants will be at their best. I wish all the participants luck, and hope that you will all follow the rules. That is all." Namikaze Minato finished his little speech and stepped behind the curtain again. It was a short press conference, and right to the point. Basically, you had a week to register, and a week after that to prepare for your first match. And from the looks of it, it was going to be quite the spectacle.

* * *

Notes: For all the silly little nuances that I have said but didn't feel like explaining right away.

BTW, if you're wondering AP rounds are Armor Piercing rounds. Simple, but then again, not everyone knows that.

BTL chip. Better Than Life chip. Overlays whatever one perceives with a programmed perception. You could have an AI programmed into your implant and, with a BTL chip, could have a representation of that AI follow you wherever you go. Only you could actually see or hear it, though. Also, it can force you to perceive any weather you wish. Every day could be a sunny tropical day, no matter what the real weather is. It is basically like keeping yourself inside a permanent genjutsu that only shows what you want. Unfortunately, it is amazingly vulnerable to hackers.

Sub-Vocal Microphones: these are tiny devices adhered to the throat near the Adams apple. It allows a person to speak so softly that it is impossible to hear them even when standing next to them. It reads the miniscule vibrations of the vocal cords and projects them as audio over a secured connection, much like a radio. The advantages are that, while subvocalizing, it is impossible to be overhead. The steals applications are obvious.

Spider: an incredibly skilled hacker that can work a variety of jobs. Many times they are employed as anti-hackers to safeguard company mainframes and security systems. Just as often, they work independently, trolling the web and the Matrix for information and selling it to anyone who'll pay the right price. Naruto has the skills to be a spider, but since he also personally goes into combat missions, is not classified as such. Spiders set up a work station and rarely leave it. Generally, these places are locked down as tightly as panic rooms so that they do not have to worry about being physically assaulted and can concentrate on counteracting any attempted hacking

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask it in a review or PM me. I know this is getting kinda complicated, but I hope that I'll be able to explain it well enough. Thank you.


	4. The Beginning of the End

Sasuke Uchiha flexed his newly replaced muscles. He, along with his dear mother, had been skeptical when the infamous Don Orochimaru had approached him about the artificial body enhancements, but the results were worth the operations.

After the rather painless surgery, thanks to anesthetics, he had the muscles of someone who had been training from a very young age. From what he was told, they had been harvested from an androgynous clone, specifically bred to be compatable with any recipient so that the body would not reject any sort of replacement, from organs to muscles. As it was, he was faster than most Jounin, and with the nerve therapy, his reaction time was significantly enhanced as well. Coupled with his Sharingan eyes and his clan's training, he was a formidable opponent to anyone who would dare to cross him.

Thanks to his clan's stigma against cybernetic enhancements, he didn't have any skill with hacking, but since he had a very limited amount of cyberware on or around him at any given time, it didn't work against him either.

He grinned malevolently. He was a powerful warrior, and his family had purchased a spot in the upcoming tournament. He knew that he would win, no matter what. Even if he had to _bend_ the rules a little bit. The Uchiha clan, despite its weakened state, still had great connections with the Fire Country military, as well as its police force. If he couldn't win by defeating his opponents face to face, then he would find something to use against them. All that mattered was that he won. Then, when he ruled Fire Country, no one would dare to oppose him. It was his divine right, his manifest destiny; he was an Uchiha, after all, and everyone eventually would bow to the Uchiha. It was fate.

* * *

The tavern was hazy with tobacco smoke and stank of stale nicotine and alchohol. The sweaty stench of unwashed manual laborers permeated and almost overpowered the smell from the vices. In the ceiling, the air recyclers were working overtime trying to overcome the pollution, but they were failing miserably. Their moaning belied their lack of maintenance and need of a good work over and a replacement filter.

At the bar, a lady dressed in a strange outfit nursed a small cup of warm sake. Most of the patrons gave her a wide berth. Those that knew who she was did so just because of her reputation, and those that didn't steered clear because of the dent in the wall on the other side of the room behind her. The pool of blood was a good reminder not to drunkenly hit on this woman.

Her sandy grey robe-like shirt strained from her sizable bust, not so subtly oogled by the bar-tender because of her somewhat hunched position. He didn't dare make a move, though. This bar got its fair share of illicit deals, and this woman was mired in them.

A man dressed in loose forest green old fashioned garb with a gaudy red overcoat slid onto the stool beside her. The only indication she gave to his presence was to slide the sake bottle over to him. He nodded gratefully and poured himself a serving into a glass he pulled out of one of his large pockets. The two, not even looking at each other, touched the rims of their bowl-like cups before downing the alcohol.

After a moment or two, the white haired man said, "That kid," he gestured towards the holo, "looks far too much like Minato for coincidence."

"So he does," the blonde replied, pouring herself another glass.

"So…"

"So what?" she growled defensively.

"What do you think of him?" the old man intoned, pointedly.

She regarded the holo for a moment. "He looks prepared, though I doubt his abilities would stand up to most ninja." She huffed, feeling annoyed. "I suppose he could have some skills."

The white haired man smirked. "Don't tell me you're losing your edge. Look closely."

"I already know he looks like Minato, you were quite forthcoming with that little tidbit. His presence in the tournament is more than suspicious. This has 'subterfuge' written all over it." She took a small sip, letting the man sigh in impatience.

"Fine, then. Since you don't seem to think he can do much, how 'bout a wager? What do you day… 5 on the blonde kid?" The man grinned challengingly. The blondie took notice and rose to it spectacularly.

"Make it ten, and I'll give you two to one odds in favor of the feral one," she said, turning to stare into the other's eyes.

"Ten million? At two to one? Hmm. I suppose I could use the money, I need to start up a few more brothels…" the man trailed off with a gleam in his eye. He extended his hand, saying, "You've got yourself a bet."

The blonde took it, smirked, and turned back to her drink. Despite the cold shoulder, the man pressed on. "Tsunade… keep an eye out. Hebi is on the move, interfering with the tournament. I've got my spies trailing him, but he's too damn slippery. Even my spiders aren't picking up much."

"And your point is?" she drawled.

Jiraiya sighed. He shook his head. At one time, the three Dons had been the rulers of the underworld. Their influence reached all the way to the previous Fire Daimyo and they practically ruled Fire Country. Now, though, since Orochimaru had broken their agreements and split them up, they weren't on good terms. While they'd probably kill Orochimaru on the spot if they met him, the other two's relationship was strained, both professional and their friendship.

Once the Dons started fighting, their power waned, allowing street gangs and other syndicates to start moving in. With the sucession of Jiraiya's one-time friend and unofficial pupil, Namikaze Minato, to the throne, they'd hoped things would go easier. They weren't.

Admitting defeat, he said "Just be careful, okay?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes, mumbling , "Whatever," before finishing off her cup. Jiraiya grumbled, but took the hint and left.

Once she heard the tell-tale sound of the bar door closing, she grabbed the bottle by the neck, tipped it back, and took a long pull. Carelessly tossing the now empty thing behind her, where it shattered on the floor, she turned to watch the upcoming fight on the holo. She had to keep an eye on her interests, after all…

* * *

The crowd was extatic. Today was the day of the first fight of the tournament. The hype was so extreme that the fighters were already minor celebreties. Some have already been asked to participate in photo shoots, and others have been mobbed on the streets by fangirls and admirers.

As it was, a very robust betting pool had opened up on the contestants. Some had higher odds than others, but for the most part, it was a pretty level playing field. Nearly everyone with money had made at least one bet, while nobles had bet much more on their favored fighter. Some had even christened them 'Gladiators', but for the most part, it was an unpopular name.

The crowd in the Fire Capital GravBall arena was impatiently waiting for the first match of the tournament to start. While GravBall was an extremely popular sport, the leagues were put on hold until the tournament was done. Some people were disappointed, but the free live holo coverage of the matches more than made up for it. The betting pool helped, though.

When the three musical tones blared over the cacophony of the crowd, the din died down. "_Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the first match of the Fire Country Tournament! We ask that you please remain seated and behind the protective screens until the match has ended. This is for your own protection. Now, please welcome the participants!"_

The crowd screamed and applauded. "_From the esteemed Inuzuka clan, I present to you, a Chuunin Cyberninja and heir of the Inuzuka clan, with his ever faithful Ninken, Akamaru, Inuzuka Kiba!"_

The crowd rose as one, eagerly welcoming the quite popular boy. Though he was barely a teenager, his rugged and wild looks were much liked by teenage girls, and his manliness and confidence made him a role-model of sorts to teenage boys. The Inuzuka clan was pretty well liked by everyone, save for their few enemies, and the response of the crowd showed their appreciation.

Kiba entered through his side entrance, practically prancing into the arena. With a few dramatic bows (which made his mother groan in embarrassment) he took his place next to the holographic referee.

"_Now presenting his opponent. His skills are unknown, but his confidence is sturdy as a mountain! With both of his cybernetic arms and his trusty pistols, he will do his best to achieve the greatest prize! Please welcome Uzumaki Naruto!"_

The response was much less enthusiastic than it was for Kiba, but then again, Naruto was relatively unknown.

The boy slowly strode into the arena. On the huge screen suspended above the middle of the arena the camera showed a close up of the boy's face. His medium length blonde locks stood out in many directions, giving the impression that they were spikes, though none stood straight up. His whisker-like tattoos stood out quite dramatically against his slightly tanned cheeks. Quite a few teenage girls swooned over his sparkling blue eyes and his confident grin. The few who recognized his whisker marks knew him for who he really was: the Cyberfox. Those who did recognize him scrambled to change their bets in favor of the blonde. They knew what he was capable of. The two to one odds didn't hurt any either.

Naruto approached his place about halfway between the entrance he used and the middle of the arena. The holographic referee turned its head to give the illusion that it could see the contestants. The referee's recognizably false voice broadcast over the loudspeakers, saying "Do you both understand the rules?"

They both nodded, staring the other down in a ridiculous display of attempted intimidation.

The referee's hand extended between the two. "Ready?" the voice said, followed by "Set…"

The crowd tensed in sync with the two contestants, preparing for the start of the fight.

"**Go!"**

* * *

Hyu… no, Uzumaki Hinata sat in one of the high private boxes, overlooking the arena below. The box was a modest size, only large enough for three or four people. She was the only one inside it, though. Quite anxiously, she waited for the fight to start.

While she knew how skilled Naruto was, and she respected his strength, she couldn't help but worry. Though they had been married for three months, they had only known each other for three months. They had spent almost every waking moment together during that time, save, of course, for bathing time. She had grown quite fond of her husband, though she was still too nervous to express it. She couldn't help but worry.

The door opened, and she spun around, smoothly pulling out one of her pistols and aiming it perfectly at the head of the person entering the room.

"Daimyo-sama!" she exclaimed. "Please forgive my rudeness." She bowed her head and smoothly holstered her gun.

"It's no big deal, Hinata-san." His casual voice reassured her.

"Um… if you don't mind me asking," she carefully intoned, being sure not to stutter, "what are you doing here?"

"I got my bodyguard, Asuma-san, to pose as me for a while. I thought I'd spend some time with my daughter-in-law," he said cheerfully. Hinata couldn't help but to smile, knowing how much alike her husband and father-in-law were alike, even though Naruto hated to admit it.

"I see," was the only thing she said. When Minato pulled up the chair next to her and sat down to watch the match, she tried to focus her attention on the posturing boys down below her. It didn't work.

"Daimyo-sama," she began, only to be interrupted.

"Hinata-san, please, call me Minato. We're family, ok?" While his voice was serious, it was not intimidating. It helped to reassure the nervous girl.

"As you wish, Minato-sama." After a moment, she spoke. "Minato-sama, how did you convince Asuma-san to pose as you?"

Minato cocked and eyebrow, giving the young girl next to him a small grin. "Did you forget already? Asuma is one of the Ninja Guardians that were assigned to protect me. The Hokage was very gracious about it, volunteering some of his best, including his own son, to make sure that I wouldn't be assassinated."

"Ah. I see," Hinata carefully intoned. She had forgotten, it seemed, the lessons her father had so ruthlessly pounded into her head about the politics of Fire Country. Steeling herself, she resolved to try and remember everything, hoping that someday she could help her husband that way.

During their conversation, the referee and the two contestants had walked onto the field. It seemed that the conversation was over for now. Just then, the referee signaled for the match to start.

* * *

Kiba crouched, letting Akamaru jump onto his back. With a cry of "Juujin Bunshin!" there were two nearly identical Kibas. The first rushed at Naruto, his elbow slamming into the boy's sternum. Naruto went flying backward for about a dozen feet, coming to rest on his back. Unfortunately, the other Kiba jumped high off the first Kiba's back and started spinning in mid air. With a loud cry of "Tsuuga!" the Kiba in the air began to rapidly spin, using a little chakra to turn himself into a whirling tornado of claws.

Naruto kicked his legs up and back, allowing their momentum to carry his body into a backward somersault, effectively moving out from underneath the falling dervish of death. The attack struck the solid steel plating of the arena with a resounding _clank_, depositing the bestial boy onto the ground, moaning slightly in pain.

The other Kiba, also using the dangerous attack, was coming in from the side. Naruto tried to jump above the attack, but it clipped his foot. Surprisingly, the tornado-like attack was sent off, eventually ceasing in mid air as the other Kiba was deposited onto the ground, clutching slightly bloody fingers.

Naruto completed a backflip, landing on both feet and a hand, sliding backward for a few meters. The leg that had been struck by the attack was unharmed, though the boy's pants were in rags below the knee. A shiny, if somewhat scratched, metal appendage grew from an artificial joint at the knee. The false leg ended not in a foot, as was popular, but a boot that was seemingly built into the leg itself.

Naruto stood up and stomped the leg that had been damaged. A small section of the leg popped out from the calf. With a tiny _pop_, a small ball was shot into the air. The crest of its flight ended at Naruto's eye level. His arm shot out and caught the ball. Naruto took a deep breath, shut his eyes tightly, and threw the ball right between where the two Kibas lay, recovering from their botched attacks.

The ball struck the ground with an excruciatingly bright flash, a loud bang, and a cloud of dust. Despite covering his ears, Naruto heard the bang quite clearly. Once it was passed, without opening his eyes, he ran at a right angle to the area he threw the ball at. After about fifteen meters or so, he stopped, opened his eyes, released his breath, and regarded the scene.

Chocking and coughing, two Kiba look alikes stumbled out of the cloud of dust, frantically rubbing at their eyes. Naruto pulled his gun from its holster, hoping to pop off a quick shot before the two recovered. However, Kiba had already hastily thrown a kunai. It clattered to the ground next to Naruto. When he heard the sizzling sound of an activated explosive note, he threw himself away from the attack, spinning so that his mechanical limbs were between his curled up body and the explosion.

The blast sent shrapnel in all directions. Some of the deadly pieces of scrap metal harmlessly bounced off of Naruto's mechanical arms, but a few scratched his relatively unprotected sides. The two Kibas weren't so lucky. One piece of shrapnel dug itself into the neck of the boy.

With a puff of smoke, that Kiba disappeared, only to be replaced by Akamaru. Luckily, the piece of shrapnel had only grazed the top of the dog's head, but it had taken out a fair chunk of his ear. Without any indication that he was hurt, save for a small whimper of pain, Akamaru managed to recover and roll to his feet.

Naruto hit the ground with a dull _thud_, rolling over and over a few times to put out the small embers that his cloths had caught. The used the momentum to roll himself safely to his feet, carelessly throwing away his pistol. It had caught a piece of shrapnel right in the tip of the barrel. It had pierced through the gun, blocking the opening. A potentially deadly backfire, if he actually tried to use it.

Instead, he pulled his rifle, currently in a shortened version, a more abbreviated form from the typical assault rifle setting. Flicking the switch to a three round burst, he lined up the sights and squeezed the trigger.

_Ba-ba-bam!_ The report cracked through the stale, recycled air in the arena. Three rubber rounds spat out of the barrel, moving too fast for nearly anyone to see. Kiba tried to dodge, but he just didn't have the speed required to dodge the bullets. While he avoided critical damage, one struck about 6 inches to the left of his solar plexus, another hit him dead in the sternum, and the last struck his right clavicle, almost dead center from the neck and the shoulder. There was an audible _crack_ slightly obscured by the report of the rifle that spoke of the bullets effectiveness. He rolled out of his dodge clutching his left side. From his slightly labored breathing and barely hunched form, a rib or two were broken.

Akamaru shot off with a bark, rushing the crouched Shadow Runner. Naruto adjusted his aim accordingly and squeezed off another burst. The shots went high and wide. Quickly, he flipped a switch on the side, activating the shotgun attachment. A bone-rattling _boom_ made most of the crowd flinch at the sound. The flashette rounds ricoched in all directions, missing their target. Naruto quickly stood, whipping the butt of the rifle in a sweeping uppercut. It impacted solidly against the flying dog's chin. The force of the blow sent the canine flying over his head, where it landed and bonelessly rolled. Its legs twitched for a few seconds, but it didn't rise, quite unconscious.

With a quick adjustment of his swing, he shouldered the rifle with a practiced motion. As Kiba approached on all fours with lightning quick speed, Naruto whipped out a small metal rod with a handle and a switch, flicking it deftly. He waited until the beastial man was close. Dodging to the side, he twisted slightly and jabbed the tip of the device into Kiba. The Inuzuka managed to dodge slightly. Instead of taking the blow in the small of his back, he took it in the shoulder. With a cry of pain, he slid across the ground, clutching his shoulder. When he stood again, his arm was limp.

Growling, he said, "You're good, for a Shadow Runner, but you're outclassed. Give up!"

Naruto just smirked and extended his hand, palm up, and curled his fingers in an obvious challenge. Cautiously, Kiba pulled out a kunai and a roll of black tape. Keeping an eye on his opponent, he speedily wrapped the handle in the tape. Before he was half way done, Naruto rushed at him, swinging the strange baton wildly, but with a practiced ease.

Kiba had to do some skillful dodging, but most of the blows missed. Growing tired of it, Naruto struck diagonally downwards, aiming for the neck. The blow, of course, was dodged, but the following backswing caught Kiba in his upper thigh. The pain made the brown haired boy flinch. This was just the opening that Naruto needed. A few more touches and Kiba's other limbs were out of commission as well.

"So, Ninja, how's it feel to lose to a Shadow Runner? Not feeling so confident now, are you? Got any last words?" Naruto gloated, though not quite so smugly as some might have. Behind his words, however, was an air of respect. Though his words were harsh, they showed that the fight was, indeed, a respectable challenge.

The subtlety was lost on Kiba, who spat on the ground at Naruto's feet. Naruto grunted in dismissal. He grabbed Kiba by the hair, pulled the boy's head down, and struck him in the back of the head with the device. Kiba slumped to the ground in unconsciousness.

The referee calmly approached Naruto. Crouching down at the bonde's opponent, he felt for a pulse. Apparently satisfied, he turned to the press box and gave a nod.

"_And the winner is,_" the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, "_Uzumaki Naruto!" _

A fair amount of applause arouse from the arena along with not a few groans. There was some money exchanged, as befitting for a public even. Naruto calmly walked off the stage, slightly dragging his right foot as he did so, as the medics put his opponents on stretchers and rushed them out of the emergency exit.

The first battle of the tournament was over

* * *

Hinata met her husband just outside the changing rooms. His hair was slightly wet from a quick washing and he was dressed in fresh street cloths. He carried his equipment duffle easily, belying its weight.

Naruto was quite startled when she practically flew into his arms. Nearly dropping his duffle, he gently returned her nearly bone crushing hug.

"Naruto-kun! I-I was worried, but you did it! You won!" She said, her smile radiant.

Naruto couldn't help but notice that, in her excitement, she was the least self conscious he had ever seen her. He returned the embrace with a smile of his own.

"Yeah… I suppose I did." He shifted the bag off of his shoulder and set it on the groung. "How was the view?"

"Spectacular! I could see everything! It was my first time, being here in the arena, but I loved it!" Her enthusiasm made Naruto's smile widen slightly. "But… I could see all the blows, too. Your leg… How is it?"

Naruto chuckled. "It's fine. The metal casing needs to be replaced, and I think it could use a little recalibration. Don't worry about me."

"But I do worry about you." Her words smoothly slipped out of her mouth, even surprising herself. Naruto drew back slightly, startled by the sudden declaration, no matter how quiet it was.

"Thank you, Hinata-chan." Slowly, he pulled her closer until their faces were almost touching me. "I haven't heard that since… since mother died."

Their eyes connected, and a metaphorical veil was torn asunder from between them. "She was right… to worry…" Slowly, their lips met and their embraces tightened. They pulled each other close, as if they would never let go. All of eternity could pass, and forever they would be holding each other.

From around the corner, Minato watched. A sad smile grew on his face and a shadow of something passed over his eyes. "Kushina…" he whispered. "If only you could see him now. You would be so proud."

With nary a sound, he left the two alone. That small nostalgic smile hinted at cherished memories, bittersweet and haunting, but impossible to resist.

* * *

The messenger scurried through darkened hallways. The few and far between lights flickered, providing inadequate illumination. Though the hallway was dry, being high above ground level, he couldn't help but crush the manila envelope closer to his side as he imagined a dank stone hallway, the oder of musk and mildew, and the steady _drip drip drip_ of water in the background as it slowly puddle on the uneven cobbles. The atmosphere seemed to make him hallucinate. Steeling his resolve, he quickened his pace.

At the end of the hallway, the double doors opened of their own accord. The stereotypical conference chamber, so typical of the type that business owners would meet in, that met his eye fit well with the general decorum of the building. The man in the business suit that sat at the head of the table blended in quite well, except for the incredibly pale skin, long black hair, and very effeminent features.

"O-Orochimaru-sama. I have a report for you." He held out the manila envelope to the man, releaved that his hand wasn't shaking. Orochimaru took it, deftly sliced it open with a fingernail, and removed the contents. He quickly skimmed the paper, wrote something on the bottom of it, and folded it back up.

"You may go." The messenger, relieved, started to exit the room. "But…"

The word halted the man in his tracks. He slowly turned around to regard the man who so casually held a pistol pointed directly at him. "Maybe next time the messenger will show me proper respect…"

With a _bang_ and a splatter of blood, the man died. Orochimaru pushed a button on a nearby console. "Send someone to clean up this mess." The speaker buzzed a reply. Carelessly walking over the corpse in the doorway, the pale man left. He had business to take care of.

Tenten slowly stumbled out of the changing room, absently rubbing the many bruises on her arms and legs. She groaned as her fingers hit a particularly sensitive spot just above her navel where her opponent had landed a vicious blow. Gingerly, she sat down on a nearby bench, deciding that resting would be a good idea.

* * *

"That was a close fight, Tenten."

She looked up at the familiar voice. Giving a small smirk, she said "That's because I didn't want to reveal all my tricks yet, Neji. Still, for a Shadow Runner, that guy wasn't bad."

Neji nodded. "Still, you should be more careful," Neji huffed in frustration.

"What's got you in a mood?" Tenten's sarcastic voice asked him.

"You should be resting for your next match, which I should remind you is tomorrow. Your decision to accompany us on this mission was folly and you know it."

"Neji-san, you should not berate her for wishing to show her flames of youth. It was entirely her decision, and I do not see how it is your responsibility to tell her what she should and should not do," Lee said, calmly walking up behind the two.

"…Perhaps you're right, Lee. It's none of my business." Retreating back into his cold exterior, he said "We should return to headquarters to give our mission report."

"Right" the other two said in unison. Tenten, as if she wanted to prove her health, took off at a fast run. Neji was about to follow after her when a hand stopped him.

"Neji… " Lee's voice was uncharacteristically serious. Neji refused to turn to his teammate. "I know you worry about her. The fact that you care for her isn't lost on me, and I'm sure Tenten knows as well. But what she needs is someone to support her, not someone to parent her."

"Ah," was all Neji said. Lee sighed. "Look, Neji, if you like her, just tell her. This roundabout way might be the norm in the Hyuuga clan, but it's different out here. Don't baby her, just be there for her, ok?"

"… hn." Lee shook his head.

"I'm going on ahead. I'll see you later."

With that, Lee jumped off after Tenten, leaving Neji to stew in his own thoughts.

* * *

As per tradition in the court, the Daimyo would throw a feast for an important event. This one just happened to be for the conclusion of the first round of the tournament. Of course, as per tradition, all the noble ladies and lords had come. It was, after all, a major social event, and no one wanted to be out of the loop. It was a chance for the ladies to gossip and talk about the various affairs and goings-on, and for the men to greet their friends and make some political allies. More than a few deals would be discussed throughout the night, and at least one political marriage would be decided upon.

None of that mattered to Haruno Sakura, though. Tonight was a big chance for her. In honor of his victory, Uchiha Sasuke would be here. Maybe… just maybe she could talk to him, dance with him, and perhaps he'd sweep her off her feet and carry her away into the sunset…

"_Keep focused, girl. No time for daydreaming, you've gotta look and act your best tonight!" _she said to herself, mentally.

Still, she had a good chance. While the Haruno family wasn't from a long line of nobility, her grandfather had made a very large fortune through various business deals. The Daimyo at the time had raised them to nobility in exchange for a large _donation_ to help with the nation's rising debt at the time. Though their status amongst the upper eschelon of the nobility was for the most part nonexistent, their extensive wealth and business contacts gave them a fair amount of pull when it came to politics.

She smirked to herself. Her father, no matter how good a businessman he was, had a soft spot for 'his precious little princess'. It was easy to get access to his 'business' related information. The betting for the tournament positions had left the Uchiha clan rather… limited in their current funds. A marriage between herself and Sasuke would bring wealth to the Uchiha clan, status to her own, and get her with her long-time crush. Now, all she had to do was make him love her.

Absently, she brushed imaginary dust-motes off her pink dress. The thing was rather… showy for something in the noble class. The slit running up the side of her leg was there for more than show. _'After all, a young lady needs to protect herself,' _she thought, brushing the hilt of the M32-04 Sakura flachette pistol strapped to her upper thigh.

"Oh, hello, Sakura," a voice called out to her, thinly veiling the contempt hiding in the words. "Fancy meeting you here. I thought this _soiree _was invite only."

"Hello, Ino." Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her somewhat friend and rival Yamanaka Ino casually sauntered up, dressed in an opulent dress somewhat reminiscent of the type worn during the reign of Louis XIV in the Palace of Versailles. Sakura casually observed the dress, a hint of jealousy flashing across her face. The fine embroidery and intricate patterns looked hand sewn. The thing must have cost a fortune. Ino's parents spent untold amounts of money on their daughter, buying her anything she wanted, no matter the cost. Sakura's father, however, was something of a penny-pincher. He spent enough so that they would fit in at most gatherings with the other nobles, but little more than that. Even though the Haruno family was one of the richest in Fire Country, they didn't spend the money like it.

"So, still wearing the same dress?" Ino said. "I swear I saw you wearing the same one last week, at that dinner party the Akimichi threw to celebrate the start of the tournament."

"I just believe in actually _washing_ my cloths," Sakura replied, quite annoyed. She scowled and waved her hand in front of her face. "I believe in washing myself as well, but you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You can't just douse yourself in perfume and expect people not to notice."

"I'll have you know that this is the most expensive perfume on the market!" Ino growled. Smirking, she continued, "It goes along well with my matching soap, bathing salts, shampoo, and conditioner, all in the same beautiful scent."

"Apparently, you don't have a sense of smell. Neither does the person who made that particular scent, either."

Ino huffed. Sakura was about to begin her gloating, spurred on by her inner confidence, when the doors opened once more. Two figures, one male and one female, walked in. They were dressed in fine robes in a very traditional style, as well as in matching colors. Sakura couldn't catch a good view of them before the crowd blocked sight of them, crowding around the two to give their greetings. Rolling her eyes at a barely registered insult from Ino, Sakura made her way across the room.

The crowd eventually said their piece and thinned a bit, allowing Sakura to get close to whoever it was. Finally, she got close enough to see who it was. The first thing that registered was the red and white fan sewn onto the back of the male's robes. The second was the slightly spiky black hair. For a second, Sakura spaced out, recognizing her crush: Uchiha Sasuke.

When she came to, she heard the twittering of early teen girls. Sasuke was surrounded on all sides by girls who were avidly fighting for his attention. Though not so violent as most low-born girls would 

compete, these noble girls were incredibly underhanded. The posturing and veiled insults grew too much for Sakura. So, without even getting a chance to speak to her crush, she returned to her place towards the edge of the room.

For a while, she lost herself in thought, barely hearing the ongoing conversations around her. She gave brief responses when required, but didn't really participate. She was snapped out of her thoughts by a pair of shoes clicking against the marble floor, coming to a stop right in front of her.

"… Would you like to dance?"

The low tone of the voice, spoken almost in a monotone, was very familiar to her. Glancing up, she registered the speaker. "I-I'd love to… Sasuke-k…san."

Keeping with tradition, Sasuke bowed and took her hand. Ignoring the glares sent at her by the other girls, Sakura allowed herself to be lead onto the dance floor. Despite her outer calm (or what appeared to be calm) Sakura frantically reviewed her dance lessons. She was sure she could do it… well, maybe.

The staccato beat of a calm waltz began playing. In perfect timing, she moved her feet, shifted her weight, and turned. The dance had begun.

"Sasuke-san, congratulations on your victory in the tournament," Sakura said, not missing a beat.

"Hn. It was nothing."

Despite his underwhelming response, she continued, "If you keep this up, you'll be next in line to the throne."

"From what I've seen, this tournament will be easy." He gave a little smirk at that.

"Then please treat us all well when you rule, okay?"

"Ah."

The dance continued without conversation for a while. Before Sakura could rack her brain for more conversation ideas, the dance was over. She hesitated for a second, wondering what to do. As she tried to walk away, Sasuke's grip on her hand tightened slightly.

"It's a little warm in here. Would you like to go to the balcony gardens?" He asked her.

"I… sure." She allowed him to lead her (again) through the crowd and out the side door. The nighttime air was cold and clear. The usually strong breezes at such altitudes amongst the Upper City were mostly blocked by the barriers along the walkways. Despite that, the gardens were beautiful. Stone lined paths wove through flower gardens sporting the most beautiful and fragrant flowers, between carefully trimmed shrubs detailing various animals, and a selection of bonsai trees that were carefully maintained. Sakura vaguely noticed that the plaques underneath the bonsai trees indicated that they were personally attended to by the Fire Daimyo.

Finally, the two reached a secluded spot, off the beaten path. Sasuke guided her to a stone bench underneath a blooming sakura tree. The heady scent of the flowers all around and her close proximity to her crush made Sakura slightly hazy.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it, Sakura-chan."

"Yeah… it is."

"I… There's something I wanted to tell you." Sasuke said. "I had to get you away from the fan girls to say it. That's why I bought you out here."

After a moment's pause, Sasuke continued. "You're different from other girls. I've been watching you for while, and you're very intelligent and very sensible. You don't waste money on overly extravagant dresses like the other girls. Nor do you crowd around me, posturing against the other pests for my attention. I like that about you."

Sasuke leaned in really close, taking one of Sakura's hands in his own. "I think… you're the type of girl I could fall for…" With that, he leaned just a little further, l.etting his lips meet her own. The gentle kiss sent Sakura over the edge into bliss. The softness of his lips, the gentle way his hand squeezed her own, and the atmosphere made it a kiss she wouldn't ever forget.

Ino, hiding in the bushes, wiped away the tears of jealousy and loss as she turned around to go inside.

* * *

"So, Sasuke… how did it go?" Makoto asked her son.

"I don't know what you're talking about, mother."

She smirked. "Right. So, that plan of yours to seduce and marry that Haruno girl to help our clan was all talk?"

"Oh, mother, won't you ever realize that a plan is best realized when none save yourself know of it?"

She laughed. "And that is why you will make an excellent clan head… and Fire Daimyo."

"So, what about this deal with Orochimaru?" Makoto continued.

"It is relatively simple. He helps me win the tournament, and I give him amnesty and a position as an advisor. His financial support has kept our clan from falling to pieces, and the _improvements_ he's given me will ensure my victory." The two shared a low, dangerous chuckle. "This Haruno girl will merely give our clan a larger financial base to operate on. It will make our inevitable expansion easier."

"Ah, but aren't you worried about having children with pink hair? I've heard that the Haruno's hair color is a very strong gene."

"Orochimaru-san has a plan for that as well. He has been most helpful."

"Ah. So tell me… do you actually plan on honoring your end of the bargain?" Makoto asked with a sly look in her eye.

"But mother," Sasuke said with a dangerous gleam in his eyes that did not belong on the 'innocent' face he was putting on. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Makoto smirked once more. "Sasuke, you are far too devious for your own good. Why, I might believe that you'd sell your own mother if you had something to gain by it."

"Mother, you must remember one thing: Family first. Everything else is secondary." Sasuke said very seriously.

"Ah, that is true," she said. "But we will continue this conversation later. We have a celebration to return to."

* * *

Sorry about the update. I know, it's coming VERY late, but I haven't had internet in quite some time. I could have used the library, but I had no way of getting the document uploaded. It's on my hard drive, and I don't have the money to get a flash drive or anything like that. Right now, I've dragged my computer to a freind's house so I could update. It's so troublesome, though. Anyway, hope you like. I'll try to get another chapter updated soon.

Forgive me for my tardiness.


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